


The Other Race

by Blue_Night



Series: Trifels: Tales and Legends from the Pfälzer Wald [7]
Category: Football RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Technology, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pfälzer Wald, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Shapeshifting, special telepathic abilities
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-10
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2018-09-22 23:28:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 50,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9629777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night
Summary: In a world different from ours, football is a sacred sport with only one game played every five years and always between the largest cities of Germany: Munich and Dortmund. The two teams fight for the right to bring the magical sword called'Lionheart's Sword'to either Dortmund or Munich where it will stay in a shrine for the next five years until the next'Sword Match'.Thomas Müller and Erik Durm, the young captains of Munich's and Dortmund's teams, are in danger to be kidnapped by renegades who want to misuse the sword for their own fight against law and order. Jürgen Klopp employs two bodyguards to protect them and bring them safely to Munich where the'Sword Match'will take place this time, Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus.But Robert and Marco are keeping a secret from Thomas and Erik, the secret about their true nature, and on their way to Munich, something goes wrong and they have to flee into the Pfälzer Wald to escape their pursuers, a mysterious place and for humans forbidden area...





	1. The Bodyguard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Janie94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/gifts).



> Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Janie94, happy birthday to you! :-*
> 
> My dear Janie94, the teasing and waiting is over, I was as impatient to post this story as you hopefully were. It includes some of my most favorite things to write about ever: my four wonderful boys Robert, Marco, Erik and Thomas, a little bit of science fiction and fantasy, beautiful animals, my beloved King Richard the Lionheart and a really beautiful and almost magical place: the Pfälzer Wald. I really hope that you will like my birthday story for you. If you'll ever have the chance to visit the Pfälzer Wald, then please do it, I am sure that you will love it as much as I do. :-)
> 
> My dear readers, 11 chapters of this story are already written, which is almost half of the story, and I will post chapter 2 tonight after work because of lovely Janie94's birthday. After that, I will post weekly on Fridays, if I'll manage to refill my cushion faster than I first thought, than I will update twice every week on Tuesdays and Fridays.
> 
> A loud roar goes to lovely mariothellama for betaing this story that fast, thoroughly and skillfully! Thank you so much my dear, your help is simply invaluable!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is shortly before the _'Sword Match'_ , the most important event within five years, and Thomas and Erik, the two captains of Munich's and Dortmund's team learn that they are in danger to be kidnapped and need bodyguards to protect them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear Janie94, this first chapter is not much more than an introduction, but I will post chapter 2 tonight after work, I hope you won't find it too boring, the action will start soon, I promise you. Have a wonderful birthday, my dear. :-*

_Prologue:_

 

_Come with me to the Pfälzer Wald, a wonderful region full of mysteries, old castles and breathtaking beauty. Explore with me the thick forests and let us search for the enchanted beings waiting to be saved with a loving kiss. Come with me and let me tell you the legends and tales of this truly magical place..._

 

_The Pfälzer Wald is the largest contiguous forest in Germany. Its colonization and opening only began in the Middle Ages and you can still find a lot of places with pristine nature. The Pfälzer Wald borders to France, the Vosges are the continuation of the Pfälzer Wald. I added this map to this story for the better understanding and imagination of the journey of Robert, Thomas, Marco and Erik through this beautiful woodland._

  


 

_Somewhere in Old Germany, more than eight hundred years ago:_

 

_The man with the dark-red coat was truly an impressive sight as he raised his sword over his head, his golden-brown hair falling untamed over his shoulder and his dark eyes glowing in a passionate light._

_He stood on top where the red rock was split into three near the proud castle, and his voice echoed in the cold air of the early morning, audible in every room of the stony buildings which had seen such horror and devastation._

_“I, King Richard the Lionheart, swear the holy oath that this land shall be protected from all evil as long as this sword will be used as a weapon of peace and freedom only, and not as a weapon of war and death. This sword I have inherited as the righteous successor of Gaius Julius Caesar and King Arthur shall remain here in this castle in a secret chamber and never leave its holy sheath again._  
_Two honorable and noble young men have given their lives to end the bloody war, two princes united in love and peace instead of hate. Their sacrifice shall not be forgotten, and this sword will tell their story now and in the future.”_

_The man who was without a doubt a true king even without a golden crown adorning his head lowered the sword down again, and when it touched the ground that was still red from all the blood that had been shed, it's blade started to shimmer until its light was almost blinding._

_Richard the Lionheart turned his head to look at the two men standing at his right and his left side. “Marcus, Roberto, my faithful friends, it will be upon you and your descendants to protect this sword and make sure that my holy oath won't be broken. You know the reason why only you are able to do so, and your ancestors have protected this sword and its knights since the times of the great Julius Caesar. You and your descendants will be the Keepers of_ Lionheart's Sword _until there will either be another king worthy enough to take it or mankind has learned to live in peace together.”_

_The two knights, dressed in golden and shimmering black armor respectively bowed their heads before their king. “We will do as you say, sire!” they answered in unison, and the light emanating from the sword turned brighter, until its shine surrounded the golden and the black knight in an embrace of pure, sparkling white. Thunder rolled over the mountains and the valleys, and a sudden gush of wind blew the red coat and the hair of the king who had sworn this oath, an oath that would outlast the centuries until there would be someone worthy enough to become his heir and renew the magic bond that had been formed to unite and protect human kind more than a thousand years ago._

 

_Those of you who read 'One Year Of The King' already knows this picture of King Richard the Lionheart my son painted for me._

  


 

*~*~*~*

 

Present, Mainz:

 

Thomas stared at the man sitting in the big armchair at the other side of the desk, only remembering that he should better close his mouth again when his throat became dry. “A bodyguard? You are kidding me, aren't you?” he asked, hoping that his ears had played tricks on him.

The older man opposite him shook his head, and the expression in his brown eyes made it clear that Thomas wouldn't have any other choice than to accept the inevitable. “You know that I am not kidding you, Thomas,” Jürgen Klopp said with regret but firm determination in his voice. “This game is too important to risk anything. Erik and you as the captains are the key players of the two teams playing for Dortmund and Munich, and there has already been one attempt to kidnap you, so you will stay within eyesight and earshot of your bodyguard twenty-four hours every day until you'll have arrived safely in Munich. I would prefer the game to be on neutral ground, but only the stadiums of Dortmund and Munich are big enough for such an important event. I don't need to remind you that the peace of our entire nation depends on this game, Thomas!”

Thomas sighed. “No you don't have to do that, Jürgen, I do understand how important this game is, and I feel honored that I was chosen to be one of Munich's strikers. But I don't think that the incident last week was an attempt to kidnap me. It surely was only a coincidence that the other car followed me and tried to cut in on me.”

Klopp only snorted at that. “Yes, of course, Thomas. Right before the _Sword-Match_ that will decide in which city _Lionheart's Sword_ will stay for the next five years, granting our homeland five more years of peace and justice. We three are too young and have never faced the cruelty of the endless, bloody civil war that was fought about _Lionheart's Sword_ , but I remember my grandfather telling me about the aftermath of this war he grew up in. Our ancestors fought against each other for more than three hundred years, almost destroying our country forever and extinguishing our whole nation.  
If Jupp Heynckes and Bernd Schneider hadn't come up with the idea to turn the battles to win the right of keeping the holy sword in either Dortmund or Munich for a period of five years into a sacred football game, we would still fight against each other until every single man and woman would be dead. These two great men have suffered a lot until their dream had finally become reality, and it has saved our homeland and our people. We've lived in peace for more than seventy years now, and our country is slowly recovering.  
We can't risk this peace being destroyed by those fanatic renegades who'd rather have another war instead of respecting the laws of our ancestors who set up the rules for this game. There have been rumors about a group wanting to steal _Lionheart's Sword_ , but it is protected by this strange light, power-shield or whatever it is the sword seems to generate itself, and only the rightful Keepers can touch it without being burnt to death. Its Keepers and the designated team-captains of the next game, that is. Which brings me back to the necessity of you and Erik having a bodyguard until the game is over. The renegades can't take the sword, but they can make sure that the most important players won't be there to play and influence the game with this. They could even force you to steal the sword for them, even though you won't be able to actually touch it before it is brought to the stadium and the _Sword-Match_ starts. But they would probably try to force you into doing that nevertheless. No other player can replace you and Erik and become the captain a couple of days before the match will take place in Munich's stadium, and our opponents know that.”

Klopp went silent, and Thomas huffed in both, defeat and annoyance. He shot a quick sidelong glance at Erik who had listened quietly but said nothing so far. “Don't tell me that you're okay with that, Erik. We might play for the opposing teams, but I do believe that we're on the same page here. You don't want to have a bodyguard following you even to the toilet, do you?”

Erik shrugged his shoulders. “No, I don't want to have a bodyguard, but Jürgen is right, Thomas. I also think that your car accident wasn't a coincidence, and I have to admit that I had the feeling of being followed lately.” He gazed at the head manager of the training camp both teams had trained at for the past months in absolute seclusion. It was easier to let the two teams train in the same city and keep an eye on the most important young men of the entire country than letting them train separately in different cities like it had been in the early days of the game that was called _Sword-Match_. It was almost a holy game, and playing football just for fun was forbidden and carried a prison sentence for at least ten years. Being one of the players fighting against each other in either Dortmund's or Munich's stadium was the biggest honor for every young man, even more being the team's captain, and the scouts searching for young boys to bring them to one of the two schools where they were prepared for this match traveled through the whole country and visited even the smallest village.

Erik had come from a small town called Pirmasens, which wasn't that far away from Mainz, on the border of the dangerous area everyone with their common sense still intact avoided, while Thomas came from a small town near Munich.

The dangerous area in the southwest of Germany was thickly wooded, and Thomas actually didn't know why these forests should be that dangerous, but he had been warned to never try and travel through this area, and Erik shuddered every time he retold the story of when he had played in the thick forests with his sister when he had been a small boy and almost hadn't found his way back home, the sounds of the forest scaring him to death.

Even planes avoided taking the direct route and flying over the green mountains and valleys of the area that was called the Pfälzer Wald, and Thomas couldn't help but muse about exploring the forests one day, after having won the _Sword-Match_ with his team of course. Munich had won the last time, therefore the match would take place in Munich, and he was determined to win the _Sword-Match_ with his team and let _Lionheart's Sword_ stay in Munich where it belonged for the next five years as well.

“This wasn't the bodyguard already following me without you telling me beforehand, Jürgen, was it?” Erik now continued, pulling Thomas out of his thoughts about the forthcoming football game.

Jürgen Klopp chuckled. “No, this person following you wasn't your bodyguard. You wouldn't have noticed it if he had followed you. The two bodyguards we have chosen for you are the best and they know their profession.”

“I see.” Thomas drawled, watching Klopp closely. “And who are they?”

Jürgen Klopp pressed a button on his desk and leaned back in his chair. “It would be too dangerous for you to fly with the rest of your teams to Munich, too dangerous for you and for the others. You will travel there by car, and you will leave Mainz today. Your bodyguards are already waiting outside. _Lionheart's Sword_ is safe in Munich and its Keepers are the best choice to bring you to Munich healthy and in one piece, so we ordered them to come here and protect you until the _Sword-Match_ will be over. Robert Lewandowski will be your guard, Thomas, and Marco Reus will be yours, Erik. Robert, Marco, you can come in now.”

Thomas craned his head to look at the opening door, and when his eyes fell on the man entering the office first, his heart stopped beating for the split of a second before starting to hammer in his chest, his gaze trapped by the most intense blue eyes he had ever looked into. He was vaguely aware of another man following 'blue-eyes', but he couldn't have averted his gaze from the dark-haired man staring back at him even if his life had depended on it.

Thomas gulped for air, opening his mouth to say something but closing it again, and he couldn't suppress the heavy shiver running down his spine when the other man opened his mouth, his voice reminding Thomas of the purr of a beautiful but dangerous big cat.

“Hello Thomas, I am Robert Lewandowski, your new bodyguard, and I am more than pleased to make your acquaintance.”

 

*~*~*~*

 

Thomas didn't remember much of the last couple of hours as he found himself on the backseat of a simple and unobtrusive silver limousine later that day, his head still spinning from the events of the past hours. Erik sat beside him looking as overwhelmed as Thomas felt, while Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus occupied the seats in the front of the car, Robert being the driver and Marco sitting comfortably in the passenger seat and watching the street with attentive eyes.

“I would have thought that we would take a black limousine with safety glass,” Thomas stated rather defiantly when the heavy silence became too much for him to bear, “aren't you supposed to wear black suits and sunglasses as bodyguards?”

Marco threw a brief glance over his shoulder, but Robert didn't bother to take his eyes from the road in front of them. The route through the Pfälzer Wald would have been the direct route, but Robert obviously wanted to take another one, because he was driving along the border of the thick forests, careful to not arouse attention by driving too fast or risky.

“You've watched too many bad movies,” the dark-haired man with the Polish roots simply stated, “everybody would know right away who we are if we did that. We have to be as unobtrusive as possible, Thomas.”

Thomas knew that Robert had a point here, and the clothes he wore actually suited him very well, a black leather jacket and tight black jeans together with a dark-red dress shirt underneath. The jeans and the shirt accentuated his slim and well-shaped body in a mouth-watering way, and the leather jacket gave him the appearance of a wild hunter and predator. Marco was dressed in a similar way, only that his jacket was of a rich, golden-brown color and his jeans of a dark, shimmering blue. The color of the jacket matched perfectly with his red-blond hair arranged in a neat quiff and Marco's shirt was white instead of the burgundy red Robert probably wore because it let his black curls shimmer. Marco did really wear sunglasses, and Thomas could see the hidden glances Erik shot at his bodyguard now and then. It was clear that the younger player was as fascinated by his bodyguard as he was by Robert, and if he hadn't been as annoyed about all of this as he actually was, then he would probably have enjoyed the ride with an attractive bodyguard watching over him.

But as things stood Thomas was annoyed and pissed off about having to sit trapped in a car for hours, and he didn't think that he was really in danger of being kidnapped by anyone.

“If you say so. I still don't think that this here is necessary, we could at least have taken the motorway. Besides, I would be grateful for a stop, I need to relieve myself and I want something to drink and a snack.” Thomas knew that he was behaving childishly, but he couldn't help it, ignoring Erik's amused glance and biting his lip.

He couldn't see Robert's face when the Pole answered him, but the mockery in his smooth voice was hard to dismiss. “You should train your bladder then, Thomas. I am sure that you won't be allowed to take a break for a pee during the match. I also remember that you went to the little boy's room before we left Mainz, so stop trying to manipulate me, it won't work. There is a bottle with water under your seat.”

“Hrmpf!” Thomas growled while Erik and Marco snickered gleefully. He took the bottle and sipped from the still cool water, staring out of the side window, not really seeing anything. Suddenly, the thought of being the captain of Munich's team, playing the most important game of his entire life, wasn't as appealing as it had been any longer, and he felt lonely and uncertain, torn between his wish to find out more about his fascinating but unwanted bodyguard and the urge to tell him to fuck off and leave him alone.

“You should try to catch some sleep, both of you,” Marco now said in a friendly voice, and Thomas let out a heartfelt sigh and closed his eyes, wondering how he had gotten into this until he finally fell into a restless slumber of exhaustion.

 

_View over the green hills and mountains of the Pfälzer Wald_

  



	2. Changing Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert, Marco, Thomas and Erik are on their way to Munich in a silver limousine, but something happens and they have to change plans...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Janie94, just as promised, the second chapter because of your birthday. I hope you had and still have a great day!! :-**

Robert's eyes wandered back to the gas gauge, a small frown creasing his smooth forehead. Marco, his closest friend and the second Keeper of _Lionheart's Sword_ craned his head to take a look at the gas gauge as well, before shooting another quick glance into the rear-view mirror.

“What's wrong, Lewy?” he asked quietly, turning his head to the side window to watch the landscape pass by and look for other cars. Robert could sense that his friend was as tense and worried as he himself was, their sixth sense warning them that something was off. “We're losing gas,” he answered as quietly as Marco had spoken. “Our gas tank was full when we left Mainz, but it is almost empty now, there is enough left for maybe fifty more kilometers. I checked the car twice before we left, the brakes and the bodywork, and I am sure that I didn't overlook anything. There was no tracker or something like that, but I yet must have overlooked that someone damaged the gas tank. It can only be a tiny hole, hardly visible, but it is enough to slow us down. I need to refuel at the next gas station. I don't know how this could slip my attention, but maybe the hole was covered with something that fell off because of the vibrations caused by driving.”

Robert clearly blamed himself for not having checked the car three times and more thoroughly, but they had been in a hurry to leave, and he could see by the look in Marco's eyes that his friend didn't blame him but simply accepted what he couldn't change anymore.

“That means that at least one of the renegades infiltrated one of the teams, replacing one of the trainers or heads. No one knew which car we would take except for Jürgen and his staff.”

Robert pressed his lips to a thin line. “I know for sure that Jürgen is trustworthy, but you're right, it could have been one of his co-workers or even one of the organizers. Thomas will get his break sooner than expected,” he said, and Marco smiled despite his worries. “He is stubborn, but you like stubbornness, Lewy,” he drawled, watching their two charges sleep in the backseat.

Robert snorted at that. “I wouldn't mistake Erik for the sweet young man he seems to be, my friend. After all, he is the captain of Dortmund's team, that means something. You will have your hands full with him, Marco, don't you doubt that.”

Marco chuckled. “I don't mind having my hands full if the one filling my hands is that handsome and fascinating.” The next check of the rear-view mirror had him suddenly deadly serious. “I wasn't sure so far, but I think that somebody's following us. Take the next road to the left, there should be a gas stop close by, at least if our map is up to date. Too bad that we can't use the navigation system to not get tracked.”

Robert did as Marco had told him, taking the next road to the left and now, he could see the car that must have followed them as well. He couldn't see the driver behind the rather dark front windshield, but there was a shadow on the backseat, and there could also be someone hiding themselves in the front of the car by bending down or someone lying in the trunk. The renegades must know that Robert and Marco wouldn't be easy to defeat, and the car was a van with dark windows, they would probably number at least four, maybe even six or eight. His only hope was that they wouldn't try to attack them right beside the gas station but wait until they were on the road again. Their leaking gas tank would make it easy for their pursuer to follow them.

“We have to part, Marco. You'll have to go with Erik, and I will take Thomas with me,” Robert ordered his friend, he was the older one and the first Keeper, and Marco had accepted his higher rank without objection so far. The blond pursed his lips, slowly shaking his head. “We have only one car, Robert. How shall that work?”

“As much as I hate it, we have to take two cars from the gas station.”

Marco quirked an eyebrow. “You mean that we shall steal them?”

“What else do you want to do, Marco? We can't risk Thomas and Erik being kidnapped and we only have one car, one that is leaking gas of all things. You know that as much as I do. Besides, they will have to take another car then as well, maybe they will get caught, we only have to be much faster than them.”

Marco hesitated but then nodded. “Fair enough, you're right and also the one in charge. We will do it the way you said. We have to keep up appearances and behave as if we didn't know about them at first. You will fill the gas tank, and I will pretend that I want to go to the shop and buy something. Let's hope that Thomas' bladder will be big enough to wait for a while longer, because we can't risk him using the restroom the station surely has.”

“He can use the empty water bottle during the drive,” Robert waved Marco's worries away, stopping at one of the gas pumps. The dark van stayed behind, driving onto the parking lot of the supermarket on the other side of the street.

“Ah, I was right, they want to follow us and stop us when it is dark enough and the roads are not so heavily frequented any longer. That will buy us some time.” Robert pulled the key out of the ignition lock. “It is likely that we won't see each other before our arrival in Munich again, my friend.”

The blond smiled at him, taking the hand Robert offered him in a firm grasp of his fist, their forearms touching as he did so. “We will see each other again, my friend, I know that. Let us do what we have to do and make sure that there will be five more years of peace. There is no one left except for us who can do that.”

The two so different men smiled at each other and Robert knew that Marco was right. They would bring Thomas and Erik to Munich safe and sound, and no one would keep them from doing so, if it was the last thing he did in this life

 

*~*~*~*

 

Thomas felt still dizzy when he exited the car to start off towards the shop where he could see the sign for the restroom. The hard grip around his wrist made him stop and flinch, and he glared angrily at the black-haired man who had wrapped his fingers around his forearm as if they were made of steel.

“Where do you think are you going, Thomas?” the Pole snarled, his voice sounding like the angry hiss of a big cat. Thomas blinked, not sure why he was thinking of a beautiful black panther all of a sudden, but the image in his head simply wouldn't go away.

“To the restroom?!” he snapped back, watching Erik and Marco disappearing into the shop with a lump in his throat. “Marco can watch me while you're refueling!”

Robert's jaw worked. “No, he can't. He is Erik's bodyguard, not yours, remember?”

“Is he not good enough to protect both of us, Erik and me?” Thomas challenged the older man, unable to fight against his defiance and his stubbornness. He knew that he was being unfair and that Robert was only doing his job, but the somewhat mysterious man with the fascinating blue eyes confused him and aroused feelings in Thomas he didn't want to feel shortly before the most important day of his entire life.

“This is not the point, you stubborn man, and you know that quite well!” Robert growled, a low sound deep in his throat. Thomas opened his mouth to object, but Robert pulled at his hand without any warning, almost dragging him with him to the other side of the station.

“Hey, what do you think are you doing, Robert?” Thomas cried out, but Robert's glance silenced him. “We have been followed, and our car is leaking gas, Thomas. Will you shut up and just do what I'll tell you to do. I'm merely trying to keep you safe and unharmed!” the Keeper of _Lionheart's Sword_ hissed through gritted teeth, and a subdued Thomas nodded his head and hurried to keep up with Robert who was still pulling at his hand. When he threw a quick, frightened glance over his shoulder, he could see two men in dark clothes headed in their direction, and the grim expression on their faces under the sunglasses made him shiver.

Robert seemed to know what he was doing, because he stayed close by the shelves with goods next to the entrance, heading along the front just to turn around the corner of the shop and run to the rear of it all of a sudden. Thomas followed hard on him, stopping abruptly when Robert came to a halt before a huge motorbike. The driver was nowhere to be seen, and he had obviously forgotten to take the key with him that was still stuck in the ignition. Thomas watched Robert taking the two helmets from the seat, pushing one of them into Thomas' hands.

“Take that!” Thomas almost dropped the helmet, fumbling with the fastenings when two voices came from around the corner.

“I told you to stay with the bike, you stupid thing! You could have waited until I was back, couldn't you?” the male voice growled angrily.

“You simply could have taken the key with you, I needed to pee so badly! How could I know you would leave it in the lock?!” the whining female voice defended herself in the same moment Robert had swung himself onto the seat, starting the engine. “Come on, Thomas, what are you waiting for?” Robert sounded slightly desperate, and when the biker couple appeared around the corner, the two dark men right behind them, shoving the couple out of the way, Thomas hastily pulled the helmet over his head and mounted the bike to sit behind his bodyguard. He wrapped his arms tightly around Robert's waist and squeezed his eyes shut when the Pole drove off with squealing tires.

“Stop!! Stop! That's my bike! Stop!” the biker screamed after them, and Thomas could feel a hand on his jeans trying to pull him off the bike. The blond footballer tightened his desperate embrace around Robert's midsection, and just when he thought that they wouldn't make it, the screams of the bikers and the two hostile men echoing in his ear together with the loud roar of the heavy bike, they reached the open street and Robert sped up, leaving only a cloud of dust behind.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Marco waved impatiently at his younger charge, resisting the urge to turn his head and look at what Robert and Thomas were doing. It was crucial to behave as naturally as possible because otherwise, their pursuers would know that they had been discovered and not wait until their prey was back on the road.

“Shouldn't we wait for Thomas and Robert? Thomas wanted something to drink and a snack, and he looked as if he really needed to relieve himself.” Erik asked confused as he followed Marco inside the shop, but his blond bodyguard shook his head.

“No, we shouldn't. Please, Erik, don't ask questions, just do what I'll tell you to do, okay?” he said, smiling briefly at the handsome footballer who looked adorable in his still dazed and sleepy state. Marco wanted to reassure him that everything would be fine again, maybe even take him in his arms – which was truly a really bad and stupid idea – but they had no time for that. Instead, he gently pushed against Erik's back, guiding him to the back door of the shop.

The brunet looked even more confused when Marco left the shop again without buying anything, but he didn't object, only walked beside him very closely, something Marco was grateful for. He had watched one of the customers since he had walked into the shop, a middle-aged man who looked like a sales representative in his gray suit and his carefully polished, shiny black shoes. The man had paid for the gas he had put in his tank with his credit card, and Marco was pretty sure that he knew which car belonged to him. The blond Keeper actually felt pity for the poor man whose face showed rather clearly that he was tired from the long drive that probably lay behind him, because he would be stuck here in this place for a while longer if everything went like Marco hoped it would.

Erik frowned when he realized that Marco wasn't heading for their own car - that hadn't moved but seemed to be abandoned by Robert and Thomas - but straight towards a blue limousine. He almost stumbled over the unknown man who was just about to climb into his car when Marco forcefully shoved him to the side, grabbing the key dangling from the driver's hand.

“I'm sorry, mister, but we need your car, it's a matter of life and death!” Marco apologized to the sales rep, smiling apologetically at him before pushing Erik into the car and taking the driver's seat himself.

“Hey, what are you doing? This is my car, help, I need help! This robber wants to steal my car!!” the poor man cried, trying to get up to his feet from where he had fallen to the ground.

Erik was struggling into a sitting position on the back seat when Marco started the engine, not bothering to wait until he had fastened his seat belt.

“Marco, what the hell are you doing?! You can't just steal a car!” the young captain exclaimed horrified, but Marco simply jerked his head in the direction of the side window. “Do you prefer to go with them, Erik?” he asked, his right foot pressing down the accelerator with almost violent force.

The car jumped forward, causing the three grim looking men who had just reached their new vehicle to stumble backwards again.

Erik made a strangled sound when his head hit the head rest of the driver's seat before being pressed against the backrest of his own seat, but Marco knew that he couldn't allow himself to focus on anything other than their escape.

With his hand on the gearshift of the limousine he had just stolen, Marco drove off at full speed, leaving a desperately for help shouting sales rep and three cursing kidnappers behind.

 

_The three castles you can see in the distance are the Dahner Burgengruppe, three castles built directly next to each other, only in different decades_

  



	3. Into The Forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Thomas had to separate from Marco and Erik, and both couples are fleeing from their pursuers now, Robert and Thomas on a stolen motorbike and Marco and Erik in a stolen limousine. Will they be able to shake the kidnappers off? And where will their flight lead them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am on sick leave for a week and will hopefully be able to refill my cushion over the next days, so I decided to not wait until Friday with the next update. :-)

Everything had happened so fast, it seemed that it had been just a minute ago that Thomas had woken up when Robert had stopped at the gas station, just to find himself crouching on the seat of a heavy motorbike with his arms clinging to the dark-haired Pole for dear life now, the wind howling around his helmet and stinging his cold cheeks because Thomas didn't dare to lose his tight grip around Robert's waist to close his visor.

Robert seemed to be unaffected by the cold wind and the speed he was driving at, the tortured engine whining as if it wanted to win a bet against the howling wind as to which of them was louder.

Thomas even had the strong suspicion that his bodyguard enjoyed their unexpected ride on the huge bike quite a lot, because the back Thomas was pressed against was tensed surprisingly little. The young footballer didn't dare to take deeper breaths, fearing that he would fall from the bike in the next curve if he loosened his desperate embrace, but his arms started to cramp and his shoulders hurt, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to stay like this for much longer.

Not to mention his burning lungs and his eyes and lips dry from the cold wind. Thomas had never been the cautious one who told other drivers to slow down or be more careful, but he had also never sat on a bike that was racing along a rather curvy road before today. He had lived protected and well-cared for for the last fifteen years, since one of the scouts had talked to his parents and told them that Thomas was a chosen one, his destiny to become a famous and almost worshiped footballer who would once in his life have the honor of playing in the most important match for the entire country.

Riding a motorbike had been forbidden, as had a lot of other things, things like skiing for example were, considered too risky for one of the few sacred young footballers. Thomas had tried to rebel against the strict rules of the school he had been brought to when he had been younger, but he had given up his defiance and protests when he had witnessed one of the other boys injuring himself seriously after flouting the rules and never objected against them again.

The other boy had climbed onto the roof of the garden shed to watch the stars better, the secret hobby he hadn't wanted to give up, and he had fallen from the slippery roof and broken his leg so badly that he couldn't play football any longer.

Thomas sometimes still woke up from Holger's screams haunting him in his nightmares, and he had sworn to himself after that incident that something like this would never to him. He wasn't so sure anymore whether or not he would be able to keep his oath though, because Robert didn't slow down, even not when it became darker and darker and the road much more winding with every kilometer they drove at full speed, Thomas could tell that the sun was setting by the chill in the air and the lights of the cars passing them flashing before his closed eyelids.

His head was spinning and he could feel his arms getting numb with the effort of keeping their tight grip, his ears ringing from the loud noise the wind and the bike were making.

The young footballer lost all track of time as he fell into a state of dizzy paralysis, and he gasped out in surprise when Robert finally slowed down and stopped the bike, turning his head to peer over his shoulder.

“Are you alright, Thomas?” he asked, his voice slightly muffled because of the black helmet he wore. Thomas was reminded of the black panther again, the beautiful but very dangerous big cat that had always fascinated him more than any other predator. Thomas had seen one of them in a zoo when he had been a young boy, and the beauty of the wild animal staring at him from the other side of the fence, its green eyes watching Thomas' every move, had sent shivers along his spine, shivers of fear and fascination at the same time.

Panthers, no matter whether they were black panthers or spotted ones, were the most dangerous big cats except for tigers, solitary beings that were not to be tamed by anyone. Humans could tame almost every animal living on earth, even lions and tigers at least partly, but panthers resisted every attempt to tame them, attacking you just when you thought that you knew them well enough.

Thomas couldn't really say why his bodyguard made him think of a black panther, because he actually felt safe with him, safer than he had felt ever before, even safer than in the presence of his parents and his friends.

Even now, feeling cold, tired down to his bones and with every bone and muscle in his body hurting, Thomas still felt safe with Robert, but he wasn't going to tell him that, because it would only make him think that he could order Thomas around like it pleased him.

“No, I'm not alright,” he groused, trying to scowl at his annoying bodyguard. He couldn't see much of his face except for his white teeth and his blue eyes shining in the gloomy light of the early night, the helmet hiding most of Robert's chiseled features. “I've not been alright since you walked into Klopp's office and decided to turn my life upside down and me into a criminal by stealing this bike!”

Thomas looked around, and an ice-cold shiver ran down his spine when he realized where they had stopped. There was nothing except for large trees and thick bushes as far as he could see, and the road where they had driven on for a while before stopping wasn't a proper road any longer, but more an overgrown path. Thomas had mused about exploring the forbidden area called the Pfälzer Wald now and then while he had trained in Mainz and listened to the stories Erik and some of the other players had told, but in his fantasies, it had been a bright summer day and not a rather cold and dark night. It was late spring, but the nights were still rather chilly when the sun had gone down and now, once Thomas actually stood here in the middle of nowhere, the thought of exploring the Pfälzer Wald wasn't as appealing as it had been any longer.

Quite the opposite, the sounds of the dark forest surrounding him scared him, the rustling, squeaking and whispering of the leaves and the animals living in the thick forestation making him nervous and uncomfortable. Thomas hadn't heard them at first because of the ringing in his ears that had come from the wind and the noise of the bike, but the probably rather quiet sounds he could detect seemed to be unnatural loud and threatening.

“Why did you bring us here?” he demanded, flinching when a twig rustled rather close to him. “You know that this area is dangerous, Robert, don't you? You were the one telling us that we would bypass the Pfälzer Wald because it would be too dangerous to take the direct route!”

He could feel Robert's eyes upon him as he regarded him silently. “The Pfälzer Wald is not more dangerous than having five kidnappers on our heels, believe me, Thomas. You're safe with me, I promise you. I hope that I could throw our pursuers off, them hopefully not wanting to follow us into the forest was one reason why I took this road.”

Thomas eyed the path in front of him. “Road? You're kidding me! I can't see a road here. Have you been here before?” he asked mistrustfully, crossing his arms before his chest.

Robert hesitated. It was only for a split second, but Thomas had noticed it, nonetheless. “No, I haven't been here before, Thomas. I want you to stay here with our bike, I will check the path,” he said, pulling his helmet off, and Thomas let out a sound of protest. “I don't want to stay here alone, Robert! You said that I should stay close to you!”

“Yes, but I will be back right away, and I am faster without you, believe me,” the Keeper with the Polish roots stated, his tone making clear that he wouldn't change his mind.

Thomas watched him disappearing in the darkness with his heart hammering in his chest, and his fingers trembled when he pulled at his own helmet. He took a deep breath when it finally came off, his starved lungs burning as he sucked in the chilly air. The blond footballer ignored the slight pain in his chest and looked around when a strange noise right over his head startled him, making him crane his neck to gaze upwards.

The moon was shining through the canopy of leaves, and Thomas cried out in horror when a dark shadow came closer and closer at high speed, and the cawing noises the shadow made were the most terrifying sounds Thomas had ever heard. The cold air howled as the shadow spread its giant wings, and Thomas cried out again and stormed forward, not bothering to look where he ran, his only aim being to get away from the horrible bird that seemed to come straight out of hell.

Thomas ran blindly into the forest, and he didn't see the root in his way. His feet were swept out from underneath him and he fell down, hitting his forehead on a thick branch hanging down from one of the trees.

Pain exploded behind his temples and then, everything went black.

 

*~*~*~*

 

“Marco, what are you doing?!” Erik cried, still struggling with the seat belt because the man who was supposed to be his bodyguard seemed to be determined to break every speed record any other driver had ever set. “What are you doing? You must stop and turn around, Thomas and Robert are still at the gas station! They are waiting for us... please, you must turn around!”

The older man only shook his head, and Erik could see his fingers clenching around the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

“You have to trust me, Erik. Robert and Thomas are long gone, and we don't have time for this kind of conversation now. I'm only trying to keep you safe and unharmed. You are the one knowing how to play football, and I am the one knowing how to bring you to Munich, so please let me do my job!”

“But...” Erik tried, going silent again when Marco took the next turning with squealing tires. He heaved a relieved sigh when the seat belt finally snapped shut, deciding that leaving his bodyguard alone to let him focus on the road would be better. The realization that his bag was still in the other car made him groan, but it was too late to think about that now. If they were lucky, then they would reach Munich the next day and he wouldn't need his things.

Neither Thomas nor he himself had had much time to pack their belongings, Jürgen Klopp promising them that he would see to their stuff being brought to Munich with the rest of the team.  
Erik's wallet and passport were safe in the pocket of his jacket, and his pajama and toiletries were nothing indispensable. Erik had packed another pair of jeans, fresh socks and underwear together with a t-shirt and a sweater, but these clothes had been rather old and he wouldn't mourn their loss.

Erik sighed and looked out of the side window, trying to recognize the landscape that flew past them. It was dark outside and Marco was still driving at high speed, but the brunet had grown up on the other side of the Pfälzer Wald, and he realized soon what Marco wanted to do.

“You want to drive into the forest, Marco don't you?” he asked hoarsely, the flashback of his experience when he had gone into the wilderness years ago rushing back into his mind.

“Yes, Erik. I hope that they won't follow us there,” Marco answered after a couple of seconds, and Erik felt his heart clench with fear. “But the forests are dangerous, Marco, you can't do that! No one knows this region, we will get lost!”

“No, we won't, Erik. I will protect you.” Marco sounded so firm, so sure that Erik calmed down a little bit. “Have you been there before?” he wanted to know, but his blond bodyguard shook his head. “No, I haven't, but I know that we will be much safer in the forests than we would be staying on the main routes circumventing the Pfälzer Wald.”

“If you say so,” Erik mumbled, staring into the darkness with narrowed eyes. They were already deeper into the forbidden area than he had realized. The Pfälzer Wald wasn't secured with fences and gates, there were actually paths and old roads leading into the thicket of trees, bushes and rocks, and Marco must have found one of these old roads, because Erik couldn't detect any houses or lights of street lamps or other cars any longer, there was only darkness and trees surrounding them.

Erik slowly relaxed but he tensed up again when Marco let out an annoyed growl. “Fuck! They really dared to follow us, I can see the lights of another car. We need to find a hiding place!” The blond pulled forcefully at the steering wheel and the engine howled when the car swung off, skidding over the dirty track the road had become. The back of the limousine crashed against one of the trees and Erik was only saved by the seat belt, crying out when he hit his head at the window. Marco jumped out of the car before it had even stopped, pulling at the door where Erik was trapped behind.

“Come on, Erik, get out of the car!” he snarled, fumbling with the jamming belt. Erik blinked against the dizziness he felt after the hard blow to his head, and he more fell out of the car than he climbed out of it.

Marco half carried, half dragged him to the thick bushes on the other side of the car, and Erik briefly mused about Marco's strange ability to see his surroundings even though it was almost black. The night might still be young, but here in the forest, it was totally dark and scary.

“Stay here, Erik, keep your head down and don't say a word!” His bodyguard gently pressed him down into a small hollow behind two large trees, and Erik gulped for air when he realized that Marco wanted to leave him alone.

“No, please stay with me, Marco, please don't leave me here!” he begged, but Marco silenced him by putting his hand over Erik's mouth. “I'll come back to you, keep still, Erik!”

Before Erik could say any other word, his bodyguard was gone disappearing into the darkness as if he was a ghost.

Erik curled himself up in the hole and squeezed his eyes shut but opened them again right away when the lights of the car of their pursuers grazed over the path where the blue limousine had come to an abrupt halt.

Erik swallowed hard, the hammering of his heart drowning out any other sound. The men who had tried to kidnap him switched off the lights, and after a moment, he could hear the faint sound of the doors being opened and closed again.

Erik held his breath, fearing that his pursuers would see him in his pit even though this wasn't possible of course. But he was sure that they would start to search for him and he tried to make himself as small as possible.

The darkness carried the murmuring voices to him, and Erik gritted his teeth to keep them from chattering. Footsteps were the next sounds he could discern and the young footballer started to whisper inaudible prayers, but before they reached them, a horrible noise made its way to his ears, sounding like the roaring of an angry lion.

Erik didn't know where a lion could come from here in the Pfälzer Wald, but he had once watched one of those beautiful big cats in a zoo, admired the beauty of the king of the animals and listened to his proud roar that had sounded exactly like this noise.

Erik flinched when the horrified cries of the three men who had followed them made the blood freeze in his veins, and he jumped to his feet without thinking and started to run deeper into the forest, his only wish to get away from what was happening in the small clearing where he could still hear the cries and strangled sounds.

Erik ran and ran until he was out of breath, his feet slowing down against his will, and he stopped abruptly when a loud howl to his right almost made him stumble.

The captain of Dortmund's team turned his head as if in slow motion, and his desperate cry echoed through the black forest when he found himself eye to eye with a huge wolf that crouched opposite him, watching him with glowing yellow eyes. The wolf bared his teeth to a low growl and his ears twitched nervously, and Erik cried the name of his bodyguard again, standing there frozen in place, sure that the wolf would attack him in the next second.

“MARCO!!!!”

 

_This is actually the tower of a castle. The builder of Castle Drachenfels in the southwest of the Pfälzer Wald used the naturally grown rock and carved the tower right into it. Visitors of the ruins have a breathtaking view from the top of this rocky tower._

  



	4. Wild Animals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four had to flee into the forbidden area, and Thomas injured his head while Erik found himself face to face with a big wolf all of a sudden. What will happen next? Will Robert and Marco come to their rescue?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is Friday and as promised, here's the new chapter. I hope you will enjoy it as much as the last one. :-)

_Thomas had a weird dream._

_He lay on the ground where he had fallen down after he had hit his head on a thick branch, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a black panther sitting next to him._

_The panther was large with shining deep black fur like velvet, larger than the panther that had once watched him from behind the fence in the zoo. The big cat sat very close to him, his long tail and his ears twitching nervously, and it bared its teeth to a silent hiss, but Thomas didn't feel any fear, which was surely stupid, but if the panther really wanted to attack him, it wouldn't have needed to wait until Thomas was awake again, would it?_

_Thomas stared back at the wild animal, looking straight into its deep blue eyes, and he frowned, trying to remember whether or not panthers had blue eyes. He knew that some cats had blue eyes, but surely not black panthers? Their eyes were normally green or yellow, Thomas was pretty sure about that._

_But this one – the most beautiful panther Thomas had ever seen – had the same deep blue eyes just like his bodyguard Robert called his own, and Thomas smiled at the thought of Robert turning into a black panther by night. This would suit the man who fascinated Thomas so much very well, but it wasn't possible of course._

_No human could become an animal, even though there were some old legends his grandmother had told him, legends about humans who could turn into animals. His grandmother had told him about these people when he had visited her, people who had once lived on earth hundreds and thousands of years ago, but Thomas had never believed her when she had said that the legends were true, always thinking that her stories were nothing more than fairytales._

_“You are not real, panther, are you? This must be my mind playing tricks on me, my head hurts and it can't be that there is a black panther with blue eyes sitting beside me, no way. This is only a weird dream I will wake up from soon,” Thomas murmured to himself, closing his eyes for a moment. The pain behind his temple made him feel sick and dizzy, and he didn't dare move because he feared that he would have to throw up if he did. Robert wouldn't be pleased if he embarrassed himself like that and so he stayed where he was, only forcing his eyes open again._

_The panther was still there, watching him silently with those strange almost human-like blue eyes, and Thomas lifted his hand up with effort to feel whether or not the shining black fur was as soft as it looked like._

_“Robert, where are you? There is a black panther with eyes like yours watching me,” he whispered, but his bodyguard was nowhere to be seen, and Thomas was too weak to keep his eyes open any longer, succumbing to the smooth blackness of a rather deep coma with a wistful sigh._

 

*~*~*~*

 

Thomas swam in a dark-gray sea, his body moving up and down with the waves of the ocean, a rhythmical and steady movement that was oddly comforting. There was a strange noise coming from somewhere above him, sounds that reminded him of the cawing of the black raven that had once lived in the large oak near his parents' house when he had been a young boy.

The cawing made him feel nervous for some reason though, and the young footballer mused briefly about that, because he and the black raven had been friends, Thomas lying under the oak and telling the beautiful bird about his dream to become a footballer one day and win the right for Lionheart's Sword to stay in Munich for five more years. The raven had listened patiently to his excited rambling just as if it could understand every word of what Thomas confessed to him, and the day before the large and impressive bird had disappeared for good, it had come down from the tree and sat beside the young boy, allowing him to stroke its head and wings. The next day, the raven had been gone, and Thomas had never seen it again, wondering what had happened to his animal friend and missing the beautiful raven until the scout had come and taken him with him to let his biggest dream come true.

Thomas didn't know why he had to think of this raven now of all times, because the cawing couldn't be real, could it, and he also knew that he needed to open his eyes and search for the shore this ocean must have. He needed to swim in its direction before he would become too weak to keep his head over the water surface, but his head hurt horribly, and the gentle rocking of the waves playing with him and the hoarse cawing lured him back into the deeper layers of unconsciousness.

The next time the blond became aware of his surroundings again, the rocking had stopped, and he lay on hard ground, something wet coating his lips. Thomas groaned, trying to open his eyes, licking the cool wetness from his dry lips with utter gratitude. “R-r-obert?” he croaked out as he tried to struggle into a sitting position just to give up his feeble attempts again when pain exploded behind his temples.

“I'm here, Thomas, you're safe,” Robert's voice murmured soothingly, and Thomas finally managed to crack his left eye open. The effort made new pain shoot through his skull, but he resisted the urge to close it again and let the velvet darkness of more unconsciousness embrace him.

“What happened?” he ground out through gritted teeth, and Robert gently laid his hand on his forehead. It was only a soft touch, but the pain actually faded a little bit while the dark-haired Keeper frowned slightly just as if he could feel Thomas' pain himself through where his hand touched Thomas.

“I will tell you what you need to know later when you're feeling better, Thomas. You hit your head quite badly and our pursuers followed us into the forests, so I had to bring you to a safe place,” his bodyguard said after two or three seconds, stroking over his cheek.

“You carried me? Is that why I felt something rocking me?” Thomas lifted his torso up with a groan, grateful that Robert didn't press him down onto the ground again. The older man lifted something to his lips again and now, since his eyes had accustomed to the pale moonlight shining through the small opening of what must be a cave or something like that, he could see that Robert had found a large stone that was formed like a cup. He sipped from the water again that tasted a little bit earthy but not unpleasant.

“Yes, I carried you. I hope that I was fast enough to shake off your kidnappers this time.” Robert didn't seem to be willing to tell him more, and Thomas felt too exhausted to push him. “What about the bike?” he asked instead, and Robert shrugged his shoulders. “We had to leave it behind. If it was a trail bike, we could have tried to drive through the thicket, but not with an injury like yours. Why didn't you stay with the bike, Thomas? Why did you run into the thicket without looking? You could have broken your legs or snapped your neck!” Robert sounded more worried than truly angry, and a shiver ran over Thomas' spine when he remembered the horrible creature that had tried to attack him.

“There was a shadow – a large bird or something else that attacked me! It was so big and made terrible sounds,” he defended himself, knowing how stupid and unbelievable his explanation must seem to be.

Robert only regarded him, his deep blue eyes shimmering like jewels in the blackness surrounding them. “Hmmm, I see. I checked you over as best as I could, I think that you're suffering from a mild concussion, but nothing too bad. We will stay here until the morning comes. You should try to sleep, Thomas. I will stay close by and watch out.”

The dark-haired Keeper shrugged out of his leather jacket to fold it and pillow Thomas' head on it. Thomas was grateful that the temperature in their cave was higher than it had been outside in the forest, but he still felt a little bit cold, and he had a bad conscience because Robert must be freezing without his jacket. He lay back with a strangled groan, because the pain throbbing behind his forehead had become worse again when Robert had pulled his hand back.

“You will freeze without your jacket, Robert,” he objected weakly, but his bodyguard shook his head and as strange as it was, the man with the dark curls and the blue eyes seemed to be perfectly fine in the wilderness, just like the black panther he reminded Thomas of would feel in the jungle.

“I'm fine, don't worry, just go to sleep, I need you rested tomorrow,” Robert ordered him, crawling to the exit of their cave, and Thomas closed his eyes. “I had a weird dream,” he mumbled, and the rustling of the dead leaves told him that Robert had stopped and was probably looking back at him. “A weird dream?” he asked, and his voice had a cautious undertone.

“Hmmm, I dreamed that there was a black panther with blue eyes watching me when I woke up before you came to carry me away. I couldn't move and fainted before I could call for you, you must have scared the cat away. It was a beautiful panther, though, large and with shining black fur and deep blue eyes, just like yours. That's weird, isn't it? Panthers don't have blue eyes, do they?”

Robert hesitated but then snorted in disbelief. “That was truly a weird dream, Thomas. Black panthers surely don't live here, and they also don't have blue eyes. Don't worry, I will chase every panther away,” he said, but there was still this undertone in his voice.

Thomas was too tired to open his eyes and look at him, he only curled himself up into a small ball and pushed his nose deep into the soft leather to inhale Robert's male scent emanating from it. “I like panthers, especially the black ones, they are the most beautiful animals imaginable, so wild and free and untamable. This one was a real beauty, I really wished I could have stroked its fur to feel if it was really as soft as I thought it must be.”

There was another moment of silence, and Thomas thought that Robert had already left the cave without him noticing it but then, the older man sighed. “It must have been a dream, Thomas. Sleep now, I will watch over you.”

Thomas exhaled and relaxed, a small smile playing around his lips. “Good night, Robert. You would be a beautiful black panther, you know? A really beautiful one,” he whispered, already half asleep, and the last thing he heard was a low growl that truly sounded like a big cat's purr.

 

*~*~*~*

 

The wolf didn't move, only bared his teeth in a low growl, and Erik stared at the wild animal with wide eyes, his immobility finally leaving him. The young man stepped back with shaky legs, unconsciously raising his arms to protect his face in case the big wolf would attack him.

“You're a good wolf, such a nice wolf, you won't bite me, will you?” the brunet started to mumble, repeating his words like a mantra. One step back and then another, Erik didn't dare to turn around and run away as fast as he could, fearing that the wolf would jump him.

He almost stumbled over a root and cursed hoarsely, his flickering gaze fixed on the surprisingly beautiful eyes of the wolf. They were not as yellow and hostile as Erik had first thought, more of a rich golden-brown, and the wolf stayed where it was, just watching the human with twitching ears.

“Ah yes, you're a good boy, such a good boy, just stay there, I'm not going to harm you, and I hope that you won't harm me either. I like dogs very much, you know? Dogs like in your descendants. You're not so different from a big dog, are you? I don't know whether or not wolves are normally as big as you are, but you're a real beauty. I really didn't mean to disturb you and intrude on your territory, I will go back to where I came from and you will stay here, okay?” Erik kept on talking to the wolf that made a cautious step in his direction, another low growl making its way to Erik's ears.

“You don't want me to go? Fine, I think I can stay here for a while longer, but I really need to find my friend, another human like me. He is as tall as me with blond hair and beautiful amber-green eyes, and he is really good-looking,” Erik stammered, freezing in place again when the wolf slowly crept closer, obviously not pleased with Erik trying to escape it.

“My friend, he could be in danger, there were three bad guys, you know, three really bad guys, they want to kidnap me and Marco has to fight against them alone. Not to mention the roar that came from the spot where I left him. Was this your wolf-friends? It sounded like the roar of a lion, but maybe that was only my ears playing tricks on me. Where are your friends now, by the way? I always thought that wolves are social animals, living in packs? Where is your pack, my friend?”

Erik had started to move backwards again, and he suppressed a pained groan when a branch he hadn't seen scratched over his cheek. The wolf panted and moved forward, only a few meters still separating him from the young man. Erik swallowed hard, wishing he that he knew where Marco was, but he still didn't dare to turn around or call for him again. Marco hadn't answered his first shout, maybe he was too far away to hear him.

Or, worse, he was injured and unconscious or...

No, Erik refused to believe that his bodyguard was dead. It simply couldn't be that Marco had let himself be trapped or killed, neither by their pursuers, nor by a wolf or another wild animal.

“Do you know where my friend Marco is, wolf?” he asked, his eyes never leaving the creature that crouched before him as if it wanted to attack him any second. “I need to find him, I am really sorry for disturbing you, that was never my intention...”

The wolf suddenly pressed himself against the hard ground, pulling his long tail between his hind legs and whining quietly. Erik had always been fascinated by wolves, he had read a lot of books about them and once watched them in a wildlife park, and he knew that this gesture was a gesture of surrender and devotion towards a stronger wolf, something an omega wolf would show towards the alpha wolf.

The low and dangerous growl at his back told him that the wolf didn't show this behavior towards him but towards someone or something standing behind him and when he slowly, very slowly, turned around, he knew instantly that he was really in trouble now because there was another animal sitting a few meters away from him.

Erik stood almost exactly in the middle of them, trapped and helpless, and his heart wanted to jump out of his throat at the thought of what these two animals probably wanted to do with him.

The wolf would be the lesser evil of the two evils here though, it might be the biggest wolf Erik had ever seen, but the other animal was even bigger, beautiful and much more dangerous, because no wolf could ever measure itself with the king of the animals.

The animal sitting opposite the wolf, staring at Erik with amber-green eyes, was a lion, and the lion started to move now, slowly creeping up on him.

 

_This panther can be found on pixabay for free, but I changed the picture to make this beauty fit in in this story. :-)_

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would love to hear your opinion! :-)


	5. Shapeshifters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas has a concussion and dreamed of black panthers with blue eyes while Erik finds himself trapped between a big wolf and an even bigger lion. Will the lion attack him or will Marco come to his rescue? And what kind of secret is Robert keeping from Thomas?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't be at home for two days from tomorrow on, so the update a little bit earlier than planned. I couldn't refill my cushion so far, so from Friday on the updates will slow down to one every week I guess, but I wanted to reveal Robert's and Marco's secret.  
> This story is very close to my heart because of the setting, so you showing me that you like it at least a little bit with your feedback would mean the world to me. <33

Erik knew that he should actually feel scared to death standing trapped between a large lion and a big wolf, but all he felt was surprise, regret, confusion and curiosity. Surprise about the fact that his life would end here in the middle of the forbidden area far too early given his young age, regret that his beloved ones would never know what had happened to him, and confusion and curiosity about the seemingly impossible truth that these thick and mysterious forests were the home of such creatures.

The young man knew that trying to run away would be a helpless undertaking and so he simply stayed where he was, watching the lion stalking closer. At least it would be a truly magnificent lion ending his life, his fur shining like pure gold and his thick and long mane of a deeper amber-like color.

“You are for sure the most impressive and beautiful lion I have ever seen. I never meant to intrude on your territory, king of the animals, and all I ask from you is to make it quick and as painless as possible. Do you think you can do that, lion?” Erik asked, his voice hoarse and trembling, but he held his head up high, not wanting to show his fear.

The lion cocked his head and shook his mane, pausing for a short moment before finally closing the remaining distance between them. Erik swallowed hard and shut his eyes, waiting for the lion to go for his throat. The wolf at his back had gone silent, acknowledging that the law of the strongest ruled in favor of the lion, probably hoping that his unexpected opponent would leave something for him when he had finished his meal.

“I hope that I won't cause you belly-ache, lion,” Erik murmured with something akin to morbid humor when he could feel the beast's breath on his hand hanging loosely at his side. He suppressed a sob and steeled himself for the attack, wetness stinging behind his closed eyelids.

The next moment, his eyes snapped open and he found himself staring down at the dangerous creature with his jaw dropped open, because the lion did something Erik hadn't expected him to do at all, rubbing his head against Erik's thigh and making contented purring noises with every exhale.

“B-b-bu-tt, w-wha-ttt a-a-arr-e youuu d-d-doingg, l-ion-n,” the young man stammered as the lion continued to rub his head thoroughly against his legs, his behavior the behavior of a little tomcat marking his beloved human friend. Erik had never had a cat himself, but one of his friends had had a tomcat that had looked like a little tiger, and the small cat had always marked Erik's friend this way when he had come back from school, rubbing his head against the boy's legs to leave his claim upon his beloved caretaker once more.

The lion circled him and Erik almost lost his balance when the big cat pushed against his hip, growling and purring until he was satisfied with the result of his actions. “You're not going to eat me?” Erik asked cautiously, and the lion looked up at him and shook his mane again, just as if he was able to understand what Erik was saying. His beautiful amber-green eyes shone in the pale moonlight, and Erik blinked because it couldn't be that the lion had the same eyes as his missing bodyguard, could it?

“Has Marco sent you to me, lion? Do you know where my friend is?” Erik asked, and the lion lay down at his feet and turned on his back, presenting his vulnerable belly to the stunned young man.

“You want me to stroke your belly, lion? Is this your way of telling me that you're my friend?” Erik crouched down and hesitantly started to stroke the soft golden fur covering the lion's belly. The lion purred again in this strange rhythm, and Erik remembered that big cats could only purr when they exhaled because of their unyielding tongue bone. A movement at his back made the brunet flinch, and the lion let out a warning growl when the wolf Erik had almost forgotten crept closer, its tail still between its hind legs.

The wolf whined and stopped, pushing its cold nose against Erik's arm. The young man looked back and forth between the wolf and the lion that had rolled onto his front again, his tail waving through the chilly air. “You want to be stroked too, wolf?” Erik made sure, and the wolf nuzzled his palm with its mouth, its rough tongue licking up the salty sweat.

Erik shook his head in disbelief, no sure whether to laugh or to cry. “No one will ever believe me that this happened, at least no one with their common sense still intact,” he stated with a heartfelt sigh, allowing his cramping muscles to relax. A lion that wanted him to stroke his belly would surely not try to eat him, and the wolf didn't look like a threat anymore, either, the beast seemed more jealous of the lion than anything else.

“You're my good boys, both of you,” the captain of Dortmund's football team murmured, stroking the heads of both animals. “If you could only tell me what happened to Marco – and to the three men who followed us. Did you defeat them, lion?” Erik asked, and the lion moved his head up and down in an almost human-like nod, licking Erik's hand.

Erik looked in the eyes of the big cat, and the realization of what could be the only explanation for all the weird things that had happened since their arrival in the forests made him feel dizzy.

Erik swallowed hard and bit his lip, but his words weren't a real question when he opened his mouth and said: “You are Marco, my beautiful lion, aren't you? I don't know how this can be, but you are my human bodyguard, and you turn into a lion by night?”

 

*~*~*~*

 

Robert sat before the small opening of the cave where he had brought Thomas, listening to the sounds of the nightly wilderness. The human he had sworn to protect with his own life was sleeping as peacefully as possible under the circumstances, and the Shapeshifter weighed the options in his mind, musing about Thomas' reaction if he told him who he truly was. Would the captain of Munich's team be disgusted and hate him like humans had always hated his race, trying to kill all those who were not really human? Or would he consider him as an odd curiosity that should be shown at a fair to entertain other people?

Looking like a normal man in his human form, the Shapeshifter with the dark hair sighed, the mere thought of seeing the disgust and fear in the beautiful green-blue eyes of the young man he had come to care about deeply making his stomach turn.

The sounds of flapping wings coming closer made Robert look up just in time to see a large raven land next to him. The bird shook his plumage and cawed, the air surrounding him flickering as the Shapeshifter turned into his human form.

 _'Hello Robert,'_ the other man greeted him through their mental connection. Robert normally preferred spoken words when he was in his human form, talking telepathically to Marco only when they were both in their animal form, but the night carried even quiet murmurs further than he would have liked, and so he accepted the mental link without objection.

 _'Hello Mats, it's been a long time,'_ he stated, and the other Shapeshifter smiled. _'There was no need for us to meet, my friend. You had to protect_ Lionheart's Sword _, and I had to protect the last of our kind.'_

Robert accepted this without arguing. 'You should have been more careful,' he only chided the older one, _'you scared Thomas to death and he's suffering from a concussion because of you!'_

Mats' gaze darted to the cave with the sleeping human. _'He has grown up since I last saw him, he will honor Munich's team,'_ he mused, smiling apologetically at the first Keeper. _'I'm sorry, I'm not used to dealing with humans any longer, I guess. I didn't mean to scare him.'_

Robert sighed. _'Yes, I know. Do you have any news about Marco and Erik?'_ He had tried to contact his friend through their link, but Marco and Erik must have entered the forests taking another route from him and Thomas, too far away for the mind-link to work properly. Marco had sent him a few images before the connection had been cut, and Robert was worried about his friend and Marco's young charge.

Mats nodded. _'Mario is with them. Erik is fine, only a little bit cold and scared, but nothing serious. His kidnappers followed them into the forests, but Marco made sure that they won't be a threat to them any longer.'_ The Shapeshifter chuckled quietly.

_'Mario had never met a Shapeshifter as powerful as Marco and you before, and he surrendered unquestioningly to him when he saw him in his real form, something my defiant mate normally doesn't do. Marco of course took advantage of that instantly and put him in his place, but they will get along with each other, I'm sure. I told Mario to stay in his true form until they have reached their destination and meet us. It's not that I don't trust Erik, but Mario is still young and could be tempted to let something slip Erik isn't supposed to know at this point.'_

Mats paused, pursing his lips. _'He is a clever young man, he realized Marco's true nature faster than I would have thought.'_

Robert snorted. _'Marco has a thing for Erik, he most likely turned into a purring tomcat, didn't he?'_ he asked, and Mats nodded, amusement sparkling in his brown eyes. _'Yes, he did. Erik has gotten our proud Keeper thoroughly under his spell, just like Thomas has done with you,'_ he stated, and Robert averted his eyes to scan their surroundings instead.

 _'That won't keep me from doing my job, Mats,'_ he said, and the older Shapeshifter smiled at him. _'I know, my friend, I didn't think that it would. But you will have to tell him who you really are tomorrow. He's human and can't walk the long distance that lies ahead of us, you'll have to carry him most of the way. I will show you the way and Mario will do the same for Marco and Erik, but we need to hurry.'_

 _'It would be easier if Marco and I had been allowed to come here before today, Mats,'_ Robert said after a short moment of silence, and this time, it was Mats' turn to sigh.

_'You know why you weren't allowed to do that, Robert. The council decided to not allow the Keepers to come here a long time ago, I didn't have the power to change that. You will be safe here as long as Mario and I stay by your side, but don't think that you can do that on your own. The Keepers might have the most power because of their true form, but even you and Marco together couldn't win against the united power of the rest of us. You'll have to respect our laws like any of us, Robert.'_

Robert bowed his head in a nod of acknowledge. _'Marco and I will always respect the laws of our race, Mats,'_ he said, and the other Shapeshifter accepted his words with a smile. The air flickered as he turned into his true form again, and Robert watched the large raven spiral upwards into the dark sky, his quiet caw the only sound echoing in the cool air of the Pfälzer Wald that had become the last refuge of Earth's other race that had almost been erased from the planet's surface in a bloody war centuries ago.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Marco felt pride when the young man in front of him showed only small signs of fear, Erik's handsome features suffused with determination not to cry and beg for his life. The young Shapeshifter at his back watched him stalking closer to the human Marco had started to consider as his very quickly without even knowing it, Mario's posture proving to Marco that the other one accepted his higher rank and power. Marco still growled warningly at him, because he could feel the younger one's fascination for the brave human.

It was probably only because Mario had never encountered humans before, but he wasn't willing to take any risks and give the young Shapeshifter the impression that he wouldn't defend what belonged to him with all he had.

Erik had closed his eyes in the meantime, straightening his shoulders as he waited for the lion to go for his throat and end his life, and if he had still been in his human form, Marco would have chuckled at Erik's tough words. “I hope that I won't cause you belly-ache, lion.”

Of course, his beautiful young man would say something like that, and Marco crept closer, purring delightedly with every exhale, gently rubbing his head against Erik's trembling legs. His scent upon the young man would tell every other Shapeshifter living here that they'd better stay away from his human, and Marco kept purring and growling while he marked him properly, circling Erik and leaving his strong scent all over him.

Erik stammered some incoherent words when he realized that the lion wouldn't kill him, and Marco regretted that he couldn't bond with him and talk to him telepathically like he could do with his own kin.

Mario in his true wolf-form watched him attentively, maintaining his posture to show the older Shapeshifter that he respected his claim, and only asked with curiosity in his mind's voice: _'what's so special about this human, Marco?'_

 _'He is one of the strongest and bravest humans I've ever met,'_ Marco answered, _'you will keep your distance to him because he is mine!'_

Mario whined and pulled his tail between his legs more firmly. _'I'm not interested in him,'_ he assured Marco, but the older Shapeshifter could detect defiance in his voice, _'I only came here to bring you to my mate!'_

Marco could hear the pride in Mario's statement, and he sent a soothing image to him before turning on his back before Erik. _'I believe you, Mario, but stay where you are, he is still scared!'_

Mario sent his agreement back to him, and Marco focused on the young man again, who obviously didn't know whether or not he was trapped in a weird dream. Erik hesitantly crouched down beside him, his hand brushing over Marco's fur. He kept talking to the lion while he stroked him and Marco did his best to show him with the expression in his eyes that he was no threat to him and wouldn't harm him.

Mario finally dared to crawl closer, apparently wanting to be stroked by the astonishing and fearless human as well, and Marco let him but shot him another mental warning, turning on his front again in case the younger Shapeshifter actually dared to challenge him.

The wolf retreated a little bit, and sensing the tension between them, Erik stroked their heads simultaneously to calm them down. “You're my good boys, both of you,” the captain of Dortmund's football team murmured soothingly, looking intently at Marco's lion-face. “If you could only tell me what happened to Marco – and to the three men who followed us. Did you defeat them, lion?” Erik asked, and Marco moved his head up and down in an almost human-like nod, licking Erik's hand.

He could tell the moment realization dawned in Erik by the expression in his beautiful hazel-green eyes, and another wave of pride surged through Marco when Erik didn't jump to his feet to run away or tried to attack him, only asked him with amazement in his trembling voice:

“You are Marco, my beautiful lion, aren't you? I don't know how this can be, but you are my human bodyguard, and you turn into a lion by night?”

Marco closed his eyes as he concentrated to turn back into his human form, smiling at the young man staring at him with wide eyes and reaching out to gently stroke his cheek.

“Yes, I am Marco, my brave Erik. I am one of the last Shapeshifters living on Earth, and I can turn into my true form whenever I wish. I will answer all of your questions, but we have to leave this place first. My kin are waiting for us, so please trust me and let me bring you away from here. Mario will show us the way. Can you do that, Erik? Trust me and sit on my back to let me carry you to where the others are waiting for us?”

 

_This is a digitally alternated photo from pixabay again, starring Marco in his true form as the golden lion. :-)_

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the wolf is Mario's true form, and Mats is truly a magnificent black raven I think. You will get to know more Shapeshifters and their true forms along the way. :-)


	6. Their True Form

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco has revealed to Erik that he is a Shapeshifter and can turn into a lion while Thomas is still not sure whether the black panther was only a hallucination or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a longer one and you will learn more about Shapeshifters in here. I hope you will like it as much as the last chapters, please keep your amazing feedback up, it means so, so much to me !! <33

“Your true form?” Erik asked, a small frown of confusion furrowing his brow. Marco could see that his brave human was pale with exhaustion and kept himself upright only by sheer willpower, now that the adrenaline was wearing off. The eyes of a Shapeshifter were much sharper than human eyes, and the darkness was not a problem at all for him. Marco could see every little detail of their surroundings, and he could also see the dark circles under the beautiful eyes of his young charge.

“Yes, our true form, Erik,” he explained patiently, although he was eager to leave this place and put as much distance between their pursuers and themselves as possible during the night. But Erik needed at least to know that his bodyguard wasn't a threat to him but would protect him with his own life, and telling him a few things wouldn't do any harm. “My true form is the golden lion, and the true form of this young Shapeshifter here is the wolf. His name is Mario, and he understands you, even though he can't answer you with spoken words in his true form. But I am sure that you will be able to communicate with him with gestures and read him easily soon enough, just like you will be able to communicate with me.”

Erik eyed the big wolf that lay before him, looking up at him with his golden-brown eyes, devotion showing in his gaze. It was clear to see that Erik had impressed Mario with his behavior, and Marco was torn between amusement and his strong sense of possessiveness towards the remarkable young man.

“Why doesn't – Mario – turn back into his human form like you did, Marco?” Erik asked, absentmindedly stroking the wolf's head. Mario whined, shooting Marco a reproachful glance. The blond Shapeshifter chuckled. “He isn't allowed to do that, his mate forbade him to turn into his human form before we've reached our destination.”

“I see,” Erik murmured, just to shake his head in a tired gesture. “No, I don't understand anything. Okay, your true form is the lion and Mario's the wolf. Am I right with guessing that Robert must have a true form then, as well?” he asked, rubbing his forehead.

Marco gently cupped Erik's face to ease the headache that had started to throb behind the brunet's temples. Erik relaxed gratefully, smiling shyly at his bodyguard. “I don't know how you do that but thank you, I'm feeling better.”

“You're welcome, Erik. You're right, Robert has a true form, he is a black panther.”

Erik chewed on his lip and nodded slowly. “Hmm, that form suits him perfectly, I think. Thomas' favorite animals are black panthers, he once told me that.” He shot Marco a quick sidelong glance. “I always liked lions best,” he admitted, his cheeks flushing in a wonderful pink.

Marco resisted the urge to reach out and stroke the smooth skin, knowing that they had to leave this place. “I'm glad to hear that. I will tell you more later, Erik, I promise you. Mario came here to be our guide and bring us to the place where the last of our kind are waiting for us. I will turn back to my true form to carry you, you should try to rest a little bit, I will make sure that you won't fall down. You're safe with me, I will protect you with my own life.”

Erik looked at him, his expression serious and without any sign of fear. “I do feel safe with you, Marco. I trust you and I know that you won't hurt me. You – you made sure that the kidnappers won't be a threat any longer?” he asked, his voice trembling at the thought of what an angry lion could do to humans.

Marco nodded tersely. “Yes, I did, Erik. I don't think that there will be others coming after us, not as long as we are here in the forest. The other Shapeshifters will see to that. I will turn back to my true form now, Erik. You can talk to me, I'll understand everything you'll say. Sit on my back, we have to hurry.”

Erik nodded, and Marco closed his eyes and turned back into his true form, waiting until Erik had climbed onto his back, clinging to his thick mane to hold on tight.

_'Show us the way, Mario!'_ Marco connected with the younger Shapeshifter, and Mario rose to his feet and turned around, heading into the forest. Marco followed him with his precious cargo on his back, enjoying the feeling of his brave human snuggling close against his neck. He would not let any harm come to the young man, and no other human or Shapeshifter would come between them.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Thomas had fallen into a fitful slumber for some time, drifting between sleep and consciousness, his body shaking with the chills running over his spine again and again. The young footballer didn't know the last time he had felt so cold, and he had the suspicion that it came from his head-injury and his concussion as much as from the roller-coaster he had gone through over the past couple of hours.

He curled himself up as tightly as he could, drawing his jacket around his shivering body, but the chills simply wouldn't stop, and all that came out of his mouth between his chattering teeth as he tried to call for Robert were small whimpers. Somehow, Robert must have heard his whines nonetheless though, because the dead leaves rustled all of a sudden and then, a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around his trembling body, radiating warmth and comfort.

Thomas was too exhausted to open his eyes, but when he pulled the arms closer around his body, he didn't feel the fabric of Robert's shirt under his numb fingers, but soft fur, smooth and pleasantly warm, tickling his palm as he let his hand glide over it. The body pressed against his own from behind vibrated with soft, growling purrs in the rhythm of the steady exhales of his savior, and Thomas snuggled close to his living blanket, sighing in relief when the chills wrecking him became less forceful.

“Robert, is that you?” he murmured when a similar strong pair of legs draped themselves over his thighs, something that could only be a tail curling itself over his hip in a possessive and protective way. “I think the panther came back, Robert, can you see him?” Thomas mumbled, musing briefly why he didn't feel any fear, only gratitude and trust. The strange purring became louder, warm puffs of air tickling his ear, and Thomas decided that he would think about the oddity of a panther snuggling close to him to keep him warm when he had caught some more sleep and his head hurt less than it did. All he cared about at the moment was that the panther obviously wasn't about to eat him but wanted to warm him, and he nestled back and relaxed his muscles, letting sleep claim him once more, the purring lulling him back into a now healing slumber rather quickly.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Erik had fallen asleep on Marco's back, the steady, gentle rocking finally lulling him into sleep. Marco had kept his promise and taken care of him not falling from his back, and when the first rays of the sun tickled Erik's nose, he opened his eyes and struggled into a sitting position. The landscape had changed, the thick forestation giving way to a narrow ravine with a creek murmuring its cheerful way through the small canyon. The red rocks of the sandstone were covered with thick, green moss, and the breathtaking beauty of the wild and pristine nature made Erik look around in awe and wonder.

“Oh, wow, I didn't think that something like this existed here in the middle of Germany,” Erik said, gently stroking the shimmering mane of his unusual bodyguard. The lion still carrying him on his back turned his head and greeted him with a low but friendly growl, and Erik chuckled and patted his strong neck.

“I wish you a good morning, Marco. And you too of course, Mario!” he said to the wolf walking in front of them, leading the way through the ravine with firm steps. “I didn't know that something like this still existed in our country, I only know cultivated landscapes. Even my hometown of Pirmasens on the border of this area has only small strips of forests, and surely nothing as pure and so beautifully pristine like this canyon. Have you ever been here before, Marco?” the young man asked, and the lion shook his head with regret in his eyes.

“I see. That's why Mario needs to guide us. I will wait patiently until you're ready to tell me your story, my beautiful lion, but I would be grateful for a short break. Your back is indeed a comfortable seat and even bed, but nature is calling and I need at least something to drink. Is the water of this creek drinkable?”

The wolf turned his head and whined softly, coming to a halt where the path next to the creek was a little bit wider. Marco stopped and Erik thankfully climbed from his truly uncommon mount, stretching his aching legs and arms. His lion – Erik at least considered Marco his own special, beautiful lion – stared the wolf straight in the eyes, and the young man got the impression that they somehow talked to each other, inaudible only for him as the human he was. After a while, Mario turned around and disappeared around the next corner of the winding ravine, while the lion shook his mane and turned back into his human form again.

“Good morning, Erik, I hope you slept well,” he said with a smile, and Erik returned the smile, feeling a faint blush creep into his cheeks. The steady rocking between his thighs during the long ride had had a rather strong side effect, and Erik could only hope that Marco wouldn't notice the way his reaction to the rocking tented his jeans in a rather unambiguous way.

“Hm, yes I did, thank you,” he said, and his blond bodyguard luckily didn't ask him further questions, only gestured at the trees standing close by between the rocky walls of the canyon and the creek. “We're not in danger at the moment, there are neither other humans nor other Shapeshifters close by, Erik. But don't go too far, stay within earshot, please.”

Erik nodded, relieved that Marco didn't intend to watch him while he saw to his bodily needs. “I will,” he promised, making his way deeper into the canyon in the direction where they had come from.

When he came back, Marco had carved a small hole into a piece of dead wood to use it as a cup, offering the water in it to him.

“You can drink the water without any doubts, Erik. It is much clearer than the water you're usually getting to drink. Mario will collect some fruits and plants you can eat, he knows where to find them.”

Erik sat down next to Marco on a large stone with a flat surface polished from the wind and the rain, sipping from the cool and delicious water. “Don't you need to eat as well, Marco?” he asked, biting his lip. “You said that the lion is your true form, you surely need meat then?”

Marco sighed. “You want to know whether or not I sated my hunger yesterday when I fought against our pursuers?” he asked blatantly, not beating around the bush. Erik blushed furiously but nodded. He didn't know how to feel about all of this, and he felt safer with Marco than he had ever felt in his entire life, but the thought of Marco having eaten their pursuers was disturbing.

Marco regarded him for a rather long time. “I am not a man-eater, Erik. I eat normal food just like you're doing, and I actually prefer vegetarian food even though I sometimes eat meat. When I say that the lion is my true form, then I don't mean that I lose my intelligence when I turn into the lion and become ruled by any animal instincts. It is hard to explain to a human not being a Shapeshifter. My true form is the one where I have the strongest power, being able to communicate telepathically with my kin much easier than in my human appearance, and I can go without food and water for much longer as a lion than I am able to do as a human.  
Being a human costs me a lot more energy as strange as this might sound. I can draw energy from the sunlight and the energy field of this planet as a lion, staying awake for days for example. That's why my kin call their animal form their true form, not because we actually become wild animals then.  
My kin prefers to live in close communion and harmony with nature, respecting other living beings instead of killing them or fighting against them and destroying the world we live in. I only did what was necessary to protect you, it didn't give me any pleasure, and I didn't let them suffer, Erik.”

Erik had listened attentively to him, and Marco could see him relaxing, obviously believing his words without any doubt, something humans hardly ever did, the reason why they had been so determined to extinguish his kind over the last centuries. “I believe you, Marco. But if that's so, why are humans so afraid of your race?”

Marco smiled sadly. “Because it is hard for humans to understand, Erik. Plus, humans have always been jealous and envied our power and abilities. My kin live much longer than humans, Mario for example is rather young for a Shapeshifter, but old for human standards. He was born during the last decades of the war, he is almost hundred years old.”

“I see. How old are you, then, Marco?” Erik asked, and the Shapeshifter sighed again and averted his eyes to look into the distance with unseeing eyes. “I'd prefer to tell you my story on another day, Erik. I am older than you think I am, let's just leave it at that, okay?”

Erik nodded hesitantly, but the expression in his hazel-green eyes told his bodyguard that this conversation wasn't over yet. Mario coming back to them with some plants and fruit in his mouth put an end to it for now, because Erik didn't want to ask him further questions when the young – old? - Shapeshifter was around. Erik trusted Mario to not harm him, but he could feel the tension between Marco and the other one, and he felt closer to Marco than to Mario.

Instead, he took the offered food with a grateful smile, chewing on the roots and surprisingly delicious plants, thinking about what Marco had told him about his own race. He had to admit that he felt intrigued and fascinated, and Erik caught himself hoping that he would come closer to his bodyguard and find out more about him.

Whatever it was that was drawing him in to the Shapeshifter, it went deep and was too strong to ignore it and apart from that, Erik had never been one to resist a challenge, even more when it was such a tempting challenge such as Marco was to him.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Thomas was alone again when he woke up, the all-consuming pain behind his temples reduced to a dull throbbing that was actually bearable. The blond footballer slowly sat up, looking around in the cave where Robert had brought him the previous night. The ceiling above him had the same red color as the walls, and Thomas remembered that he had seen this kind of red sandstone from the distance when they had driven along the forbidden area before they had stopped at the gas station. The rocks had craned their necks and heads over the large trees of the thick forest that covered the mountains and hills of the Pfälzer Wald, looking like the fingers of giants hiding themselves in the valleys between the mountains.

Thomas' grandmother had told him about a race that could change their forms and appearances, and she had actually never said anything about a race of giants, but the young boy Thomas had been back then had always imagined that a race that could change its form must be tall and frightening. He knew of course that the rocks were only rocks, but he felt uncomfortable in his cave and hurried to crawl to the entrance, pulling a face when the sudden movement increased his pain for a moment again.

Robert had promised him to not leave him alone and when Thomas reached the entrance of the cave, he could see his dark-haired bodyguard sitting leaned against the wall next to it. The older man with the handsome features and the deep blue eyes stared into the distance, watching the sun slowly rise over the horizon, but when he heard Thomas clearing his throat, he turned his head and smiled at him.

“Good morning, Thomas. Are you feeling better?” he asked friendly, taking the leather jacket Thomas held in his hand with a nod.

Thomas rolled his shoulders and stretched, smiling back at his bodyguard. “Yes, thank you. The headache isn't gone but it's bearable, and I don't feel dizzy or nauseous, so the concussion can't be too bad.”

“That's good news. Sit down, I collected some fruit. You must eat before we'll leave this place.”

“What about you?” Thomas took the berries and started to nibble at them. He didn't feel really hungry, but he knew that Robert was right, and the sweet juice eased the sore feeling in his throat.

“I have already eaten,” Robert assured him, but Thomas got the impression that Robert was hiding something from him. He accepted the stone mug with the water and gazed at his bodyguard from the side. “I told you about the panther I've seen yesterday, didn't I?” he asked when he had sipped from the water.

Robert's shoulder tensed up, but he nodded, avoiding to meet Thomas' eyes. “Yes, you did. I told you that you didn't need to worry about it. I won't let anyone harm you. Besides, it was surely only a hallucination, caused by your injury.”

Thomas pursed his lips, Robert's demeanor confirming his suspicion that his weird dream about a black panther with blue eyes watching him and warming him during the night had actually been reality. He had always believed that his grandmother's stories had been nothing more than fairytales, but he now knew that he had been wrong with that. Her tales about Shapeshifters living in a secret place hadn't been only fairytales, but old legends with a true essence, and Thomas couldn't deny the truth anymore. Shapeshifters truly existed, and his strange and fascinating bodyguard was one of them.

“No, it wasn't, and you know that quite well, Robert, don't you? You know that I haven't been hallucinating because you are the panther with the blue eyes. I want you to stop hiding the truth from me, Robert because how can I trust you if you are not honest with me? The Shapeshifters my grandma has told me about exist and you are one of them, aren't you?”

 

_This could easily be the cave where Thomas and Robert stayed during the night, there are a lot of places like this to be found in the Pfälzer Wald. :-)_

  



	7. Finally At Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco and Erik are enjyoing their trip through the beautiful ravine, while Robert finally tells Thomas who he really is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is Friday, and here is the promised update.  
> I hope you will like it as much as the previous chapters. It won't take long now until Erik and Thomas will meet Marco's and Robert's brethren. :-)

_The ravine Erik, Marco and Mario are marching through is the Karlstalschlucht near Trippstadt. It is a beautiful place, especially on quiet, sunny Sunday mornings. <33  
_

  


Robert stared at Thomas, not sure whether he should be relieved that Thomas had found out about his secret on his own or if he should try to deny the truth and keep on pretending that the black panther had only been a feverish fantasy caused by the blond human's concussion.

The green-blue eyes gazing back at him without blinking proved to him that the footballer wouldn't let him resort to lame excuses any longer though, and Robert sighed and simply nodded his head.

“Yes, Thomas, I am a Shapeshifter. My true form is the black panther, and you didn't hallucinate but saw me in my true form even though I hoped that you would take it for a dream caused by your concussion. I didn't want to reveal my true identity that soon, but I had to carry you when you were unconscious, something I couldn't have done in my human appearance, and it was easier for me to increase my body heat in my true form in order to warm you and reduce the symptoms of your head injury while warming you. It would have cost me too much energy to do that in my human form.”

Thomas pursed his lips, pondering Robert's words. “I see, now everything makes finally sense. You can really do that? Heal injuries?” he finally wanted to know, his voice more amazed than disbelieving.

Robert leaned back against the rock that had offered them shelter for the night. He had never been here before, not allowed to come closer to the last refuge of his race than traveling along its border and shoot wistful glances at the green mountains and red rocks where he knew his brethren lived in relative safety. But deep in his heart and soul, he had always longed for his home, and being here, inhaling the fresh air of the pristine nature and listening to the quiet sounds of the forest had a calming effect on him and healed the deep wound in his soul that he hadn't known had been there.

Being the Keeper of _Lionheart's Sword_ was crucial for the survival of his kin and the greatest honor imaginable, but it also meant that Marco and he were some kind of outlaws, not allowed to come back to their only home and spend time among their own kind. The beauty of the landscape displayed before his eyes made him feel humble, and his soul yearned to explore the home he had never seen before but always felt in his heart, to range the woods in his true form and become one with his home and his kin.

The cave he had chosen to be their shelter for the night was on top of one of the thickly wooded mountains, and his sharp eyes could see their destination in the distance, a tiny spot hardly detectable and for Thomas as a human not visible, but Robert could hear it calling out for him, a gentle whisper in his mind that welcomed him home.

“Robert?”

Thomas' question reminded him that his young charge was still waiting for his answer, and Robert pulled himself together and smiled at the handsome footballer who didn't show fear or disgust, only concern, curiosity and confusion.

“It depends on the injury and my own state of health, Thomas. I can't heal deadly injuries and I have to be careful with tiring myself out, but I could reduce your pain and the swelling caused by your injury. You getting some hours of undisturbed sleep did the rest, you're a healthy and strong young man with a well-trained body, that made it easier for me.”

Thomas nodded. “I see.” He cocked his head to the side and smiled. “It was nice to cuddle with a big black panther. I once had a huge plushy, a giant teddy bear, it warmed me as nicely as you did last night,” he chuckled, and Robert shot him a stern look, feeling his cheeks heating up with embarrassment.

“I am not a teddy bear!” he growled, and Thomas' grin widened. “But you purred as wonderfully as my teddy always purred when I squeezed its belly,” he teased his bodyguard, and Robert's heart made a flip when he saw the sparks of mischief dancing around in the blond's eyes, and he was too happy about Thomas feeling well enough to tease him to be really angry with him.

“I'll give you purrs!” he snarled but couldn't really hide his own smile. Thomas pulled his knees to his chest and eyed him from the side. “I'll keep your secret, my proud panther, don't worry. I won't tell anyone that you're purring like a cute little tomcat,” he assured the dark-haired Shapeshifter.

Robert rolled his eyes, but he relaxed gratefully, glad that Thomas had taken the news about his true nature that well.

“Can you tell me more about your race, Robert?” the blond asked while he munched away on his breakfast, and Robert let his eyes wander back to the tiny spot calling out to him from the distance.

“You will learn more about my kin, I promise you, but it has to wait for a while longer. We have to hurry now, we need to meet my brethren, they are waiting for us. I had hoped that we would be faster, but you getting some rest was more important. I will turn into my true form when you're finished, Thomas, you can ride on my back, we will be faster this way.”

Thomas swallowed the last bite and emptied the stone mug. “If anyone would have told me that I would ride on a black panther one day, I would have laughed in their faces, but there is a first time for everything, I guess,” he remarked dryly, raising his head when the cawing of a raven made its way to his ears.

Robert could feel him tensing up beside him, and he touched Thomas' arm to calm him down. “The cawing – I heard it yesterday before the large shadow attacked me!” the blond said, staring into the still rather dark sky with narrowed eyes and a worried expression.

“You don't need to be afraid of this raven, Thomas. He is our guide, and he is sorry for having scared you that much. You already know him, you were friends when you were a small boy.”

Thomas' eyes went big. “This is my raven? My friend that listened to my dreams about becoming a footballer?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. The young man craned his neck and narrowed his eyes, and Robert sent Mats a short request to let Thomas take a better look at him, watching the other Shapeshifter coming closer.

“Yes, Thomas. His name is Mats, and he will turn into his human form when we have reached the place where my kin are waiting for us. You will also see Marco and Erik there. He is no threat to you, he only wanted to protect you.”

Thomas didn't respond, only stared up at the blue sky and the beautiful black bird now circling above their heads, his cawing sounding friendly and not threatening in the fresh air of the early morning.

“I missed him so much, I always sensed that my raven friend was special,” he eventually murmured, his eyes begging Robert to tell him more when he looked back at him. Robert stroked his arm, hastily drawing his hand back when he realized what he was doing. “Mats will tell you everything you need and are allowed to know, Thomas. Come on, we have to hurry, I hope that we will reach the Trifels tomorrow noon at the latest.”

“What is the Trifels?” Thomas asked, lifting his hand when he saw the look in Robert's eyes. “Okay, I got it. We have to hurry and I will learn more about your race when we have reached our destination, whatever this 'Trifels' might be. I have to shut up and not ask any more questions, and I need to ride on your back because I am too slow as the poor human I am.” There was an annoyed and defiant undertone in the young man's voice, but Robert was actually grateful for it, because it meant that Thomas was really feeling much better and that they could hopefully make up for lost time today.

“You're surely the strongest and most remarkable human I've ever met, Thomas,” the Shapeshifter assured his defiant charge, the sincerity in his voice proving that he wasn't just polite but really felt this way. “I can't talk to you in my true form, Thomas, but I understand what you say, so please tell me when you need a break or something's wrong, okay?”

Thomas bit his lip but nodded, his shoulders slumping a little bit. “I will, thank you. I'm sorry for being that childish.”

Robert dug his nails into his palm to keep himself from reaching out and touching his human again. “No need to be sorry for anything, Thomas. You're doing more than great considering what has happened since yesterday. I will turn into my true form now, please don't think that I would ever hurt you.”

Thomas smiled, and the smile reached his eyes. “Yes, I know that you would never do that, and I really like my big cuddly and purring black panther. I trust you, Robert,” he said, and Robert smiled back, Thomas' quiet reassurance being enough for the moment.

 

*~*~*~*

 

  


They had made good progress, and Marco enjoyed their journey through the idyllic canyon with Erik on his back much more than he had enjoyed anything in a very long time. This was his home, the home that had been forbidden to him and Robert until the previous day, and the prospect of finally meeting his own kin excited him much more than he had expected.

Marco and Robert had grown up far away from the last refuge of their race, learning in the harsh world outside what it meant to be a Keeper of _Lionheart's Sword_ from a very young age on. His heart and soul had always longed for the place where the last Shapeshifters lived, their only true home, but one of Marco's ancestors had made it impossible for him to even go there, let alone stay and live among his own species.

As the intermediary between the Shapeshifters and the two Keepers protecting _Lionheart's Sword_ , Mats was the only other Shapeshifter Marco had known except Robert until yesterday, and he was still wary when it came to Mario trotting in front of him.

It had hurt Marco that his brethren didn't allow the Keepers to at least visit their home and see their own kind, the other Shapeshifters preferring to live in seclusion in the Pfälzer Wald and make every Keeper an outlaw for what only one of them had done a rather long time ago. Their refuge had become the forbidden area for the humans who had forgotten about the other race living among them over the centuries, and Robert and Marco had been forced to stay in their human form and pretend to be something they weren't for far too long.

Mario, the first Shapeshifter except for Robert and Mats Marco had ever met, was young, but he radiated confidence and calmness, something that came with being sure about yourself and knowing your place in the world you lived in. Something Marco had missed until he had met Erik.

Being the beautiful and brave young man's bodyguard, protecting him and making him smile fulfilled Marco in a way being the Keeper of _Lionheart's Sword_ had never fulfilled him, and the feelings this special human aroused in him even quieted the tiny voice in the farthest corner of his mind that told him that his kin punishing Robert and him for the deed of another one wasn't right or justified.

Marco hadn't realized how empty and homesick he had felt before he had met Erik and come here, and he sensed that both, the emptiness and the homesickness wouldn't be as strong or hurt so much when he had to leave his home again, if only Erik was still by his side.

The young man obviously enjoyed their ride as much as Marco did, at least if his cheerful humming and Erik stroking and tousling his mane with rapt devotion was any indication. Sometimes he shifted his weight to look around or bent down to wrap his arms around Marco's neck and whisper something into his ear, and Marco answered him with happy purrs and excited growls that made his human chuckle with delight and ruffle his mane again.

 _'You really like him!'_ Mario suddenly interrupted his contemplation, sounding astonished and intrigued at the same time.

 _'Yes, I do. Erik is special.'_ Marco knew that denying the obvious would only make Mario become mistrustful, and he wasn't ashamed of his feelings for this brave young man anyway.

 _'But he is only human,'_ Mario mused, _'is it because Robert and you have to live among humans? Wouldn't you rather have one of your own kind as a mate, Marco?'_

Marco suppressed the annoyed growl that wanted to flee his throat only with effort, the sense of protectiveness he felt for Erik too strong to risk anything that would disturb the happiness and contentment the young man riding on his back felt. His brave human had gone through a lot within the last two days, and Marco enjoyed Erik's cheerful humming and his excitement about the unexpected adventure far too much to ruin his good mood with his own anger about Mario's nosiness. He knew that the younger one's interest came from Mario never having encountered humans before, and he couldn't really blame the other Shapeshifter for wanting to learn more about the race that had almost erased his own species from the surface of this planet.

Apart from that, Marco had thought about this question himself since he had first laid his eyes on Erik, fearing that his fascination came only from the emptiness deep in his soul, that the things he felt were caused by the sad truth that he would never be allowed to live among his own people and find a mate of his own kind.

_'Erik is not 'only' human, Mario. He is human and he's perfect the way he is. We should stop thinking of them as 'only' humans, Mario. The war between us came from this way of thinking – both of our races thinking poorly of the other one. These humans are the dominant race of this world, and we need to come to an understanding with them if we want to live in peace and without fear and hate one day. They cannot change their form, but they have a lot of skills and capabilities we don't have, and we should consider them equals. Yes, I like Erik. He is kind and warmhearted, brave and fascinating, and he deserves to be treated with respect, kindness and as an equal.'_

Mario thought about that for a while, and Marco waited patiently for his answer. _'I grew up with my brethren warning me to not come too close to any human, the elders telling me that humans were a threat to us, but Mats has told me the same as you did, I only didn't believe him. He knows humans, but he hasn't come as close to them as you did. I always thought that all humans were hostile and unworthy to be trusted and liked.'_

_'Of course there are humans who are a threat for us, Mario. Our pursuers are the best example for that, but Erik and Thomas belong to the good guys, believe me.' He hesitated before adding a sad, 'there have been traitorous Shapeshifters as well, my ancestor is the best example for that.'_

_'You're right, but don't take the blame for what he has done, Marco!'_ Mario's mind voice was gentle and without any judgment, which surprised Marco and made him feel humble and grateful. _'Plus, I will treat Erik with respect, Marco. I must admit that I like Erik myself. Not in the same way you like him, but he looks as if he could become a real good friend,' Mario continued, and Marco growled contentedly at that. 'Yes, Mario, Erik will be your good friend, he likes you as well.'_

And as if Erik had sensed that Marco and Mario had spoken about him, the young man on his back leaned forward again, ruffling Marco's mane and whispering tenderly: “You're the most beautiful lion in the entire world, Marco, all proud and golden and strong, and your home is the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Thank you for trusting me enough to bring me here.”

Marco turned his lion head to look into the sparkling hazel-green eyes of his human and when Erik smiled at him, Marco knew that he had fallen in love.

  



	8. A Special Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco, Mario, Erik, Robert and Thomas are making their way through the Pfälzer Wald to reach the mysterious place called 'Trifels'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post two chapters this week, hopefully I can refill my cushion over the next days. Thank you so much for your wonderful kudos, each of them is cherished and loved very much, please leave some comments for me as well, I really would love to know what you're thinking of this for me special story. I hope you're still liking it. <33

_This is one of the views Thomas and Robert can enjoy on their journey. :-)_

  


Thomas hadn't expected that he wouldn't enjoy the ride on Robert's back as much as he actually did, even though he had to pull his legs up to keep his feet from dragging over the forest floor. The Shapeshifter was larger in what he called his true form than black panthers usually were, but Thomas was rather tall for a human himself, and he had needed some time to find a comfortable position on Robert's back.

The landscape they were marching through was different from everything Thomas had ever seen before, the young footballer knew only cultivated forests and parks, the beauty of this primal wilderness taking away his breath and making him feel humble and small.

“I always wanted to come here and explore the forbidden area, but I wouldn't have thought that it would happen under these circumstances,” he said, flinching when his voice echoed between the trees. The raven – Mats – cawed above the canopy of the green leaves as if he wanted to answer him, and Thomas smiled and absentmindedly stroked the soft, shimmering fur on Robert's neck. It was fascinating to feel the play of the strong muscles under his fingers, and Thomas let his hand glide over the warm flesh, caressing the elegant head until Robert began to purr.

“That's my purring teddy bear again,” he teased his rather unique mount, and the black panther turned his head to shoot him a strict gaze out of those wonderful deep blue eyes that had fascinated Thomas right from the beginning. He chuckled, gently patting Robert's neck. “I like it when you purr for me, Robert, so stop complaining. After all, you're a cat, and it's the nature of cats to purr, that's simply in their genes. You might be a big cat, a truly magnificent one if I'm allowed to say that, but a cat is a cat, and it's only fair that you're purring for me after all I had to go through within the last twenty-four hours.”

The expression in the blue eyes softened, and Thomas could have sworn that the panther actually smiled at him before focusing on the small path in front of them and purring steadily with every exhale to please the human riding on his back. Thomas sighed contentedly and bent forward to lean against Robert's neck, wrapping his arms around his panther and closing his eyes to take a nap. He was tired and still suffered from a headache, but the day was warm and beautiful, and Thomas felt safe on the Shapeshifter's back, knowing that Robert wouldn't let any harm come to him. It didn't take long until the blond footballer was fast asleep again, a soft smile playing around his mouth and his own calm breaths sounding like the purring of a little tomcat themselves.

 

*~*~*~*

 

The landscape had changed again, and Erik had said goodbye to the ravine and the cheerful creek with deep regret, craning his head to catch one last look at the idyllic canyon several times. Marco had turned his lion head as well, his low roar sounding so wistful as he growled his own goodbye to the creek and the ravine that Erik had felt a huge lump in his throat. He had patted Marco's neck and even dared to press a chaste kiss onto his mane, and his lion had rubbed his golden cheek against his leg and thanked him with a quiet purr.

They had stopped for another break around noon because Erik had needed to stretch his legs a little bit and drink some water. He had washed his face and his hands with the clear water of the creek while Mario had collected more roots and some delicious berries. Erik had never seen these berries before because they could only be found in pristine nature and not be cultivated, but they tasted delicious and sated him. Marco had turned into his human form to keep Erik company during their break, and he had told him what Mario had explained to him and assured Erik that he could eat them without problems. There was a lot Erik hadn't known about his homeland so far, and he had listened to Marco's explanations with great interest, especially about the mysterious place where the other Shapeshifters were waiting for them and which was called 'Trifels'.

Mario had lain down on the floor beside Erik, his beautiful golden-brown eyes begging Erik to stroke him during their break, and Erik had stroked his head and his back with a pleased chuckle, his cheeks reddening when he had noticed the jealous looks Marco had shot at the other Shapeshifter.

“Don't be mad at him, Marco. Mario isn't allowed to turn into his human form and talk to me, the least I can do is showing him how grateful I am for his guidance and the food he provides me with by stroking his fur. Apart from that, I have never had the opportunity to stroke a 'real' wolf without having to fear that it would attack me, so please let Mario and me both enjoy this.”

Marco had muttered something to himself but nodded, and when Erik had smiled at him, he had relaxed and watched Erik play with Mario for a while. Erik had used the opportunity to play fetch with Mario and throw sticks for the young Shapeshifter who looked like a dangerous wolf but behaved like a cheeky, young dog. Mario had run after the sticks with happy barks and brought them back to Erik with excited whines and a wagging tail, turning on his back to present his vulnerable belly to him and let Erik tickle him, both of them enjoying their playful teasing a lot.

Soon enough, Marco had called them to order because they had had to leave the small clearing and continue with their journey, Erik riding on Marco's back again until night had fallen over the forest.

It was completely dark when Marco stopped for another break near a large rock that would offer them shelter for the night. It wasn't a real cave, more some kind of overhang, but it was enough to protect them from the cool wind that had started to blow. Erik felt dizzy with exhaustion, the ride had strained him more than he had realized until he climbed from the back of his lion to watch Marco turn into his human form again.

“I'm torn between my gratitude that I can talk to you and my regret that you're not as cuddly any longer as you are as a lion,” he joked weakly when Marco looked questioningly at him, and the Shapeshifter chuckled and ruffled Erik's hair.

“So you like me better as a lion, Erik?” he asked amused but with a strange undertone, and Erik shook his head. “No, Marco, I like both of your selves, the human as much as my purring, golden lion. But I am only a poor human and glad that I can talk to you and hear your human voice, I must admit that I felt a little bit weird talking to myself all of the time.”

The blond Shapeshifter sat down beside him. “You're not only human, Erik. You're perfect the way you are, believe me. Plus, I understand your wish to have someone to talk to you, but I can't carry you the long way in my human form. It would be too uncomfortable for both of us.”

Erik leaned against the older man without really noticing it, and he snuggled closer when Marco gently wrapped his arm around his shoulder to warm him. “I know, Marco, please don't think that I am complaining about anything. I can't thank you enough for what you have done to me, and I enjoyed our ride very much.”

Marco pulled him close, and Erik felt a shiver running over his back that had nothing to do with the cold wind when he felt warm lips grazing his temple. “You don't have to thank me, I'm merely doing my job.”

Erik shook his head on Marco's shoulder. “No, you're doing much more than only your job, Marco. I can feel the difference. Doing your job would only entail you protecting me from my kidnappers and perhaps carrying me on your back. You could do that without turning into your human form to offer me company and comfort, and you wouldn't need to bother about my questions and explain everything to me as patiently as you did. I feel safe with you, safer than I have ever felt, but I also feel appreciated and cared for much more than I have felt in a rather long time.”

The Shapeshifter who looked like a handsome young man but was so much more powerful and fascinating than any human man Erik had ever met gazed at him with his amber-green eyes, and Erik happily drowned in the beautiful depths.

“I am sure that Jürgen Klopp and his team cared better for you than I can do at the moment,” Marco finally said, his hand stroking Erik's shoulder under his jacket.

Erik sighed and stared into the darkness. A pair of glowing golden-brown eyes announced Mario's return, the young wolf had left them to check the area for a while. “Jürgen Klopp is great and yes, he and his team cared for Thomas and me, like they cared for our teammates, but they cared for us as the footballers having to play the most important game within the next five years, Marco. They didn't care about me – about Erik. I know that the Sword-Match is important to you and Robert as well, but you care about me, about Erik, not only about the footballer,” he said, and Marco turned his head to smile at him.

“You're right, Erik, I care about you, not about the footballer. You are important to me, not only the role you will play in this important match. I know that a lot of people wouldn't agree with me, not only humans, but also some of my own brethren, but I don't care about what they say. My only wish is you being happy and safe, and this won't change, I promise you.”

Erik smiled back. “Thank you, Marco, that means a lot to me,” he whispered, closing his eyes when Marco pulled him close to kiss his forehead.

“We will stay here for some hours, Erik,” the Shapeshifter then said, his voice husky and almost tender. “I need to regain some strength and you need to eat and to sleep. Mario and I will both warm you, it is too cold for you to sleep on your own.”

Erik didn't mind the least having to sleep between his lion and his wolf and only half an hour later, he lay cuddled up between a purring lion and a softly whining wolf, warm, safe and sated, a soft smile playing around his lips when he fell asleep to the animal sounds that comforted him as much as the lullabies his mother had sung to him had comforted him when he had been a little boy.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Robert had set up a fast pace for almost the entire day, and when the sun was going down on the horizon, bathing the green mountains and the red rocks in its orange-golden light, Thomas had no problems to detect the red rocky formation on top of one the mountains in the distance Robert was pointing at. He couldn't make out any details, but he could see that this formation had been built by humans and wasn't just another rock.

“We will reach the Trifels tomorrow around noon, and according to Mats, Marco, Erik and Mario will make it there at about the same time. I would prefer to travel during the night, but I can see that you need a break, Thomas.”

Robert didn't sound reproachful, he was merely stating a fact, and Thomas was grateful for his understanding. “You're right, I'm dizzy and my headache has become worse again,” he admitted, pressing his fingertips against the spot where the dull pain was throbbing behind his forehead.

The dark-haired Shapeshifter looked around. “I can smell water a few hundred meters away from here. Do you think that you can walk there?”

“I shouldn't have any problems if you're leading the way. My night vision is not as good as yours is,” Thomas countered, and Robert nodded. “Of course, Thomas. Just stay close behind me.”

The Shapeshifter turned around and made his way deeper into the forest and Thomas followed him, actually enjoying the short walk despite the darkness and the cold wind that made him shiver.

The creek wound its way along a procession of strange looking rocks and stones that looked as if a huge giant had thrown them there or as though the rocks were actually giants that had been enchanted into stones by a sorcerer or witch living in the forest. Thomas would probably have been scared if he had been alone, but Robert's calm presence gave him enough reassurance that there was nothing he had to fear, and he simply made himself comfortable on the forest floor covered with dead leaves that served as a rather comfortable cushion. Robert found another stone they could use as a mug and brought him some water, and Thomas smiled apologetically at him when his stomach rumbled loudly.

“I'm sorry, Robert. You have been the one marching the entire day, carrying me on your back, it should be you being hungry, not me.”

The Shapeshifter shrugged his shoulders, pulling something out of his black leather jacket. “I can go without food much longer than you, and I can refill my energy stores with the energy I can extract from the sun and the energy field of our planet. Here, Thomas, eat them. I can't leave you alone to search for edible plants, and I don't want to risk making a campfire, not all of the animals to be found in this forest are friendly or Shapeshifters. No need to draw attention with a fire. You will get a proper meal when we have reached the Trifels, I promise you.”

Thomas took the two energy bars Robert offered him. “How did you get them?” he asked just to lift his hand before Robert could answer him. “No, I don't think I want to know that. You stole them, right?”

Robert grinned, his blue eyes sparkling in the darkness like sapphires. “Not really, Thomas. But why be upset about the thought of two stolen energy bars? I stole a motorbike as you already know.”

Thomas sighed. “That was to save my life...” he mumbled sheepishly.

“I took the energy bars for the same reason, Thomas,” Robert reminded him gently, and the young footballer was glad that the blackness of the night hid his blushing, even though his annoying bodyguard could probably see it despite the blackness surrounding them. “You're right, I'm sorry,” Thomas said in a small voice. He craved for some comfort and a friendly touch, but he didn't dare to move closer to the Shapeshifter who stared down at the ground with a strange expression on his face.

“Please don't be, Thomas, if anyone needs to be sorry, than it is me,” Robert murmured after a while, and the young man suddenly had a bad conscience. He put the foil the bars had been wrapped into in his pocket and cautiously laid his hand upon Robert's slumped shoulder.

“No Robert, you don't. Everything you did you did for me and to protect me. I would have preferred another solution for our problems, but I am reasonable enough to see that you didn't have any other choice. Can we please bury the hatchet? I promise to behave much more maturely from now on.”

Robert looked up and his happy and relieved smile took Thomas' breath away. The dark-haired Shapeshifter wrapped his arm around his blond human and pulled him close, and Thomas nestled against his side and inhaled deeply his tempting scent. “You can't bury what has never been unearthed. You're for sure the bravest and most impressive human I've ever met, Thomas, and I am proud and feel honored that I was chosen to be your protector,” Robert murmured against his tousled hair, and Thomas wrapped his own arms around the older one's waist and let himself be held until he became sleepy.

“I need to turn into my true form again, Thomas, I can't warm you enough this way.”

Thomas protested groggily but loosened his tight grip, happy to cuddle up against his beautiful black panther instead. The big cat draped himself around Thomas' pliant body, shielding the exhausted human against the cold wind and purring contentedly into his ear.

“Ah, my wonderful, purring teddy panther!” Thomas yawned, his snicker still wafting through the air when he fell asleep, dreaming of purring black panthers with beautiful blue eyes.

 

_Another impression of the Karlstalschlucht..._

  



	9. The Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three Shapeshifters and their humans are on their way to the Trifels to learn more about Marco's, Robert's and Mario's race. What will they find there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Friday and as always a new update. I don't think that I can keep updating twice a week, it will depend on the time I get for writing. My request for your comments fell on deaf ears, which makes me really sad. I don't know whether I shall take your silence as a compliment because you are so overwhelmed by this story or as a sign that you don't find it worthy enough to bother about my wish for your opinion about this story, but some of you taking their time for a short comment would really make me very happy. <33

_This might be the rock where Erik slept curled up between his lion and his wolf in the last chapter. You can find such rocks 'lying' around in the Pfälzer Wald on many places, this one looks like an alien spaceship that landed on earth millions of years ago to me. :-)_

  


Erik had slept undisturbed and peacefully between the two Shapeshifters, Marco's belly vibrating with his purrs being the most comfortable pillow imaginable, while Mario had volunteered as a warm and protective living blanket.

They had gotten up early though, and the young man had almost regretted that he couldn't enjoy his truly unique bed for a while longer, but he hadn't said anything, only sighed and climbed onto Marco's back for the last part of their journey.

Marco and Mario had sped up when the mountain with the large building on top of it had come into sight, and Erik had found himself craning his neck to stare at the castle with big eyes. Erik had lived in seclusion since the scout had come to Pirmasens to take the ten-year old boy with him, and before that day he had visited only two or three castle ruins with his family. The brunet hadn't even known that intact castles still existed, let alone such an impressive one.

“Wow, this is... this is amazing!” he cried out when Marco began to climb the very steep path that led to the castle, and Mario turned his head to look at him and bark excitedly before running upwards with his tail wagging.

Erik had a bad conscience that Marco had had to carry him all the long way, and he patted the shining golden fur covering his lion's neck and asked: “Wouldn't it be better for you if I climbed the path on my own two feet, Marco? It is pretty steep.”

The Shapeshifter shot him an offended and reproachful look over his shoulder and let out a roar that left no doubts about Marco thinking himself strong enough to carry his precious cargo on this really steep path without any problems. Erik smiled sheepishly at him. “Oops, sorry, my proud lion, I didn't mean to question your strength, I only wanted to make it easier for you.” His snicker earned him another roar, but it the expression in the beautiful amber-green eyes was tender and pleased and no longer reproachful.

“Very well, my proud lion, just carry me if your happiness depends on it. I must admit that I am feeling like a prince or a king in ancient times. My mother told me fairytales about a powerful king when I was a small boy. His name was Richard, and they called him the 'Lionheart' because of his courage and power. She always said that her stories weren't only fairytales but true, and that - according to the legend - King Richard lived in the forbidden area for some time even though he was actually a king coming from another country far away from here.”

Marco stopped so abruptly that Erik almost fell from his back. The amber-green eyes stared at him, and Erik swallowed and stroked his mane in the attempt to calm his lion down again. “Did I say something wrong?” he asked, his voice trembling with a slight fear he hadn't felt since his first encounter with Marco in his true form.

The Shapeshifter seemed to realize that he had scared his young man, because he rubbed his cheek against Erik's leg and purred, and Erik relaxed gratefully. “You're not angry with me, Marco, you were simply surprised about my story?” he wanted to know, and the lion vigorously nodded his head and growled soothingly.

“I see. So my mother was probably right with what she told me, you seem to know about this king,” Erik mused, waving at Mario who came down the path again. The younger Shapeshifter must have noticed that Marco didn't follow him any longer and apparently wanted to see what was wrong.

“We're fine, Mario,” Erik assured him, “I had only a cramp in my leg.” The young footballer couldn't really tell why he didn't want Mario to know about Marco's reaction to his story, but he considered his 'talk' with his lion a private matter, and even though he couldn't know it, he suspected that Marco hadn't informed Mario telepathically about their conversation either.

The wolf panted and whined, running back and forth on the path, eager to finally reach the castle where his brethren were most likely waiting for them.

“You're right, Mario, we should hurry. I'm fine again, please lead the way,” the young man said, and the two Shapeshifters growled contentedly in perfect unison and began to climb the steep path again while Erik started to chew nervously on his full bottom lip, wondering what would await him when they reached the castle on top of the green mountain.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Thomas had kept his promise and behaved much less defiantly and made no objections when Robert had woken him up to leave their shelter and continue with their hike through the wilderness, climbing onto his panther's back after drinking some water and seeing to his bodily needs. Robert had offered him the last energy bar he had stolen, and Thomas had taken it without any other word, chewing on it during their ride.

Their route had gone up and down, up and down again, Robert following Mats' mental orders because the raven had had a much better view from his position in the sky, and they reached the base of the mountain with their destination sitting enthroned on top two hours before the sun would reach its highest point.

Thomas' cheerful rambling about anything and nothing and some of his childhood adventures had accompanied Robert the whole way, but when the red castle had come into sight, the blond human had stopped talking and just stared at the huge building with rapt devotion.

Robert had missed Thomas' warm voice, and the changed mood had affected him more than the dark-haired Shapeshifter wanted to admit as he trotted along the steep path leading upwards in wide circles.

Now they stood before the wall that had protected the ancient castle from enemies for so many centuries, the red sandstone polished by the wind, the sun and the rain but still thick and impregnable.

Robert had turned into his human form again to keep Thomas company while they waited for Mats to guide them into the castle. The Keeper of _Lionheart's Sword_ could feel the presence of the other Shapeshifters, of the brethren he didn't know but had always felt deep in his soul and his mind. Only death could break this invisible bond, and the faint whisper of his kin had made his loneliness among the head-blind humans more painful that it had already been.

As strange as it was, Robert didn't feel the same loneliness in Thomas' presence, even though the young man with the green-blue eyes and the defiant demeanor was as head-blind as every other human being. But the footballer who had been merely someone to protect only two days ago had become so much more to Robert, someone the dark-haired Shapeshifter truly cared about deeply.

Thomas was able to chase the dark clouds that had pressed down on him away, and he filled Robert's heart with joy and hope where had only been shadows and doubts before.

“Do you think that Erik and Marco are already there?” the human standing very close to him whispered, not daring to raise his voice to the normal level.

Robert was grateful for Thomas' comforting presence, and he wrapped his arm around his shoulder to comfort both of them.

“No, they aren't. Marco and Erik are still two or three kilometers behind us, but it shouldn't take them long to get here. I could connect with Marco about half an hour ago.”

Thomas eyed him from the side. “How is it to have someone in your head?” he asked quietly, and Robert smiled wistfully. “It's comforting. Without Marco, I would have gone insane sometimes among your race.”

Thomas nodded thoughtfully. “I'm sorry then. It must be straining and displeasing for you having to put up with me the entire time,” he said, but he didn't sound reproachful, only sad and a little bit confused.

Robert pulled him closer and grazed his still swollen forehead with his lips. “No, Thomas, that's not true. I enjoy your company a lot. It's true that I can't connect with you telepathically, but I don't miss this kind of bonding when I'm together with you. Marco and I aren't always connected when we are together either, we both like our privacy. I think my loneliness came more from me having to hide my true nature from other humans the entire time. I don't have this feeling with you, because I can sense that you accept me the way I am. I enjoyed it so much when you talked to me on our way, telling me about your childhood even though I couldn't answer you. Other humans would have acted differently, treating me like a wild animal and not like an intelligent and sensitive being.”

Thomas looked surprised at that. “But you are an intelligent and sensitive being, Robert, how could anybody not see that?” he inquired astonished. “Plus, you did answer me, not with spoken words, that's true, but with your eyes and your body language. I didn't have any problems with understanding you! It might be tricky sometimes, but it gets easier every hour we spend together.”

Robert felt a lump in his throat. “Yeah, that's the reason why you're so special to me, Thomas. You were willing to accept me the way I am instead of letting prejudices and fear rule your actions. But only a few humans are like you and Erik. Others feared us and wanted to kill my kin because we are not like other humans.”

Thomas returned Robert's gaze, looking him deep in the eyes. “I hope that Erik and I will be able to change these stupid fears and prejudices at least when it comes to our friends and families, Robert. Jürgen Klopp knows what you are, doesn't he? I'm sure that he doesn't have prejudices towards you.”

Robert sighed. “Yes, he is one of the few who doesn't consider Marco and me a threat, but he doesn't know about my brethren here in the Pfälzer Wald, at least he didn't know until yesterday. Mats told me that he sent one of my brethren to him to inform him what happened. I would be happy if your friends and your family would accept me as your friend one day, Thomas.”

The blond human smiled at him and unconsciously leaned in, but just when their lips almost touched, Mats landed beside them, turning into his human form.

“Robert, Thomas, my friend, I'm pleased to finally be able to shake your hand,” he said, and Thomas flinched away from Robert with a blush, blinking and taking the hand the older Shapeshifter offered to him.

“Hello Mats, I'm pleased to finally be able to shake your hand as well. I can't believe that you're the raven I considered my friend when I was a boy.”

 

*~*~*~*

 

Thomas regarded the strange man in front of him curiously, and he had to admit that Mats' true form suited him well. The Shapeshifter had dark eyes and curly dark hair like Robert, but otherwise they couldn't have been more different. Robert's features were of an aristocratic male beauty Thomas had hardly ever seen before, while Mats was rough around the edges and darker than Robert.

Thomas really didn't want this man to be his enemy, and he was glad that Mats' dark eyes showed a kind and friendly expression as he now looked at him.

“Yes, Thomas, I was the raven you told your dreams to. I always knew that you are special and meant to save my race, and I was the one sending the scout to your village.”

Thomas gulped for air. “You did that?”

Mats nodded. “Yes, I was the one choosing Erik and you to become the footballers who will change the future of not only my race, but also your race for the better. You will learn everything you need to know today, Thomas, but we have to wait until my mate, Marco and Erik have arrived.”

Thomas nodded, overwhelmed by what he had just heard. He looked around, taking in the sight of the huge castle that was glowing in the golden light of the warm midday sun.

“I have never seen a castle like this one,” he said, “I only know castle ruins, I didn't know that something like this still exists in our country.”

Mats smiled, and Robert pulled Thomas close and stroked his arm. “There are a lot of things you don't know about your country, Thomas. The terrible wars between our races and later between your own species are responsible for that - so much knowledge has been forgotten over the centuries and decades.”

“My head is already spinning,” Thomas sighed, and Robert shot Mats a warning look. “I can imagine, Thomas. You're still hurt and you haven't eaten properly during the last two days. You need something to eat and some hours of rest first, everything else can wait. The match won't start without Erik and you, so please don't strain yourself and try to be tough where you don't need to be.”

“You will get medical help soon, Thomas. We Shapeshifters have special skills, and one of us is a healer. Robert has already helped you, but his skills are of another kind, and he couldn't heal your injury completely. Mario, Marco and Erik are close by now, so the waiting is finally over,” Mats explained, and Thomas turned around to watch the path Robert had climbed with him half an hour ago.

He flinched when a big wolf suddenly came into sight, followed by a huge, golden lion, but when the blond saw Erik on the lion's back, waving excitedly at Robert and him, he relaxed and waved back.

The wolf shook himself and turned into his human form when he had reached Mats, and Thomas saw a handsome young man appearing before his stunned eyes. He was smaller than the other Shapeshifter, but broadly built, with brown hair and beautiful brown eyes, and his smile was genuine and contagious when he reached out to offer Thomas his hand.

“Hello Thomas, I am Mario, Mats' mate.”

“Hello Mario, nice to meet you,” Thomas stammered, taking the hand to shake it. Erik had climbed from his mount in the meantime, going over to Mario and ruffling his hair. “Hello Mario, I'm pleased to finally see you in your human form,” he snickered, turning to Thomas to embrace him.

“It's good to see both of you well and healthy, Thomas,” he murmured, and Thomas wrapped his arms around his friend, grateful that he wasn't the only human among all these Shapeshifters.

“Hello Erik, it's good to have you back!”

Marco was the last one to approach them, eyeing Mats and Mario attentively. “I hope that you will tell us now why you wanted us to come here, Mats,” he said, his voice as wary as his amber-green eyes were.

The other Shapeshifter nodded. “Yes, I will, after Thomas and Erik having gotten something to eat and some hours of rest.” He gestured to the castle behind him and smiled invitingly at Thomas and Erik.

“Thomas, Erik, welcome in Castle Trifels, the magical place where one brave human man fought against his own race with his men to protect my kin from being extinguished from this planet. He was truly a remarkable and brave fighter, and his name was Richard, but everyone who knew this man just called him the Lionheart, because that's what he truly was, a brave and honorable ruler with the heart of a lion.”

 

_This might have been the first real good look Marco, Erik, Robert and Thomas could take at Castle Trifels..._

  



	10. The Last Of Their Kind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The four friends have finally reached Castle Trifels. Will they now learn more about the Shapeshifters?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Janie94, it's Friday again and time for an update. I hope that you're still enjoying this story. <33

Castle Trifels was as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside, and Erik could have spent hours if not days wandering around and exploring the ancient masonry without getting tired of it.

Mats had wanted Thomas and him to rest before telling them the story of the last Shapeshifters, but Thomas had only shaken his head and pressed his lips to a grim line. “I won't be able to sleep with all those questions in my mind anyway. I really want to know why you brought us here, I'd only be grateful for something to drink and to eat first,” he had said, and Erik could only agree with him. Erik felt excited and nervous, and he wouldn't calm down before finally learning more about Marco's brethren and their history.

Marco stayed close by his side just like Robert stayed by Thomas' side, his hand on Erik's back radiating comfort and a feeling of security Erik was deeply grateful for.

The older Shapeshifter who seemed to be the leader of this amazing race had finally given in, leading them to the large emperor's hall where his brethren would wait for them.

“Only our council will be here, some of our kind preferred to stay in the forest in their true form, they watch the borders of our territory,” Mats explained as he beckoned them into the great hall. Mario had disappeared several minutes ago and was already waiting for them together with several other unknown men to Erik and Thomas. Unknown for Marco and Robert as well as Erik reminded himself, cautiously entering the hall.

The other Shapeshifters had set up the large table in the middle of the hall for them, and Erik's stomach began to rumble at the sight and the smell of the delicious food, bowls with fruit and vegetables and plates with fresh bread and cheese.

“I'm sorry for the lack of meat, my friends, but our kind normally prefers to not eat meat,” Mats apologized, and Erik and Thomas shook their heads in perfect unison. “This is fine with us, Mats. It smells wonderful and we're grateful that you are willing to feed us, don't worry about meat.”

Erik remembered what Marco had told him, and he suspected that it was the same for Robert. The first Keeper of _Lionheart's Sword_ guided his young charge to the table, his hand on Thomas' shoulder protective and possessive at the same time, and Erik turned his head to smile at his own bodyguard who had turned out to be such a beautiful golden lion. “You will stay with me, Marco, won't you? Your brethren look friendly, but I am pretty nervous,” he whispered, and the blond Shapeshifter wrapped his arm around Erik's shoulder and squeezed his arm.

“No one will keep me away from you, Erik, I have sworn to protect you, and I will do that no matter what the cost,” he assured the young man who relaxed on hearing his words. “Thank you my brave lion.”

“Erik, Thomas, come here, let me introduce you to my brothers!” Mario exclaimed impatiently, and Erik finally dared to come closer to the other Shapeshifters waiting for them next to the large table. The brunet had liked Mario right from the start when he had eventually seen him in his human form, and Mario's carefree behavior calmed his nerves a little bit because Erik didn't think that Mario would allow the others to hurt Thomas or him, not after having played with him and snuggled close to him last night.

Mats was obviously willing to let his young mate introduce the Shapeshifter council to the two humans, because he didn't object, just nodded approvingly.

“Go ahead, Mario,” was all he said, and the shorter one beamed at Erik and Thomas and pointed at a tall and broadly built man with short dark-blond hair and gray-blue eyes. “This is Manuel, one of our elders,” Mario introduced the Shapeshifter. Erik suppressed a smile, because Manuel looked like a young man and not as if he belonged to the 'elders', but Mario didn't look older than twenty-five either, and he was almost hundred years old. “Manuel's true form is the stag. His antlers are truly impressive!”

Manuel chuckled at that, ruffling Mario's hair. “Remember to stay away from them the next time you challenge me to play with you, youngling,” he said docilely, making Mario blush with his words.

“Hello Manuel, nice to meet you,” Thomas stated, and Erik nodded. “Yes, the same here, hello Manuel.”

The tall Shapeshifter gifted them with a brief bow. “The pleasure is all mine, Erik and Thomas.”

Mario went on with his introduction. “This here is Philipp, he is Manuel's mate and one of our elders as well. His true form is the hawk.”

Philipp smiled at Erik and Thomas. “Hello Thomas, hello Erik. It is an honor to finally meet you after what Mats has told us about you.”

Erik blushed. “Thank you, Philipp, I hope that we will be able to meet your expectations.”

The rather small Shapeshifter nodded calmly. “I'm sure you will, don't worry, Erik.”

Erik instinctively stepped closer to Marco, and his bodyguard wrapped his arm around his shoulder. “I am here, Erik, no one is going to harm you, I promise you,” he murmured into his ear, and Erik gratefully leaned against him. “Thank you, my brave lion.”

The next Shapeshifters looked like twins, tall, slim and elegant with blond hair and blue eyes, and Mario introduced them as Sven and Lars. They seemed to be rather young, Mario didn't call them elders, and their true form was the horse. Erik didn't know how Shapeshifters could be twins, but he was sure that Mats would tell them what they needed to know later and didn't ask the questions burning on his tongue.

“This here is Jakub, but we all call him Kuba. He is our bear.” Thomas made a strangled sound beside Erik, and Erik could understand him, the thought of a huge bear suddenly standing before you was truly a rather scary one if you didn't know about the true form of a Shapeshifter.

“Xabi is one of the oldest Shapeshifters. His true form is the owl, and he is also our healer, he will help you, Thomas,” Mario now said, and Erik peered at the last Shapeshifter Mario had introduced to them. Xabi had kind features and his eyes showed a wisdom and confidence Erik had rarely seen before.

“Hello Thomas, I can feel that you're in pain, let me help you, please,” the Shapeshifter said, stepping forward to cup Thomas' face with his hands. It was only a light touch, but Thomas' shoulders slumped and he closed his eyes with relief and gratitude showing on his face when the headache he must have suffered from vanished.

“Ah thank you, Xabi, I feel much better now,” Thomas groaned with pure bliss audible in his voice, and Xabi gave him a friendly smile in return. “You're welcome, Thomas. Now, let us eat and after that, we will tell you the story of this special place, which is also the story of our two races.”

 

*~*~*~*

 

_“Many thousands of years ago, a race coming from another planet went to explore the universe and search for other planets where they could find a new home and live._

_Their spaceships needed a long time to cross the incredibly large gap between the stars, but this wasn't a problem for this race, because they were an immortal race that didn't age, one of the reasons why they had decided to leave their home to make room for the next generations that would come after them. They could be killed, but they didn't die the natural death of decrepitude like most other living beings do._

_After hundreds of years, this race found a planet that shone like a precious blue jewel in the blackness of the universe, inviting the travelers to land on this planet and make it a new home for them._

_But, there was already a race living on this planet, a rather young race, but its members were intelligent and adventurous, and they had spread out over the entire planet to rule it and explore even its farthest corners. The race that had come from the stars needed certain surroundings to live in, and they found them in the thick and rather cold forests of the northern parts of the continent called Europe. This continent wasn't as populated back then as it is nowadays, and the race could settle down without disturbing the other race already living there and which called themselves 'humans'._

_The race that had come from another planet started to teach the young humans to make them reach the next level of culture and technology a little faster, and it didn't take long until they found out that they could even mate with the humans. The descendants of these relationships had special skills and abilities and they could change their appearance and turn into other forms like their alien ancestors. These descendants weren't immortal, but they lived for much, much longer than their human relatives, and when their human relatives realized that, they became jealous and started to fight against their brothers._

_The race that had come from another planet were dismayed and desperate when they saw what happened. They tried to protect the new race, but the humans started to fight against them as well and so they decided to leave the planet and take the new race with them._

_But this new race didn't know any other home than the one where they had been born, and they didn't want to leave their home and said that they'd rather fight than flee and become homeless._

_And so their ancestors created a sword that could not only protect them but also grant them fertility, because the new race that called themselves Shapeshifters needed a special, five-dimensional oscillation to breed, and their alien brethren didn't want to leave their technology on the Earth, fearing that the humans would destroy not only their enemies with it, but also their own world if they did that. The sword was powerful enough to grant the Shapeshifters protection and fertility within a rather wide radius, but it wasn't powerful enough to destroy an entire world or continent. No normal human could touch it without being burned to death, only a human who had sworn to never kill a Shapeshifter but use the sword only for their protection._

_No one knows any longer who was the first human able to handle the sword, the first powerful human we know about is the Roman Gaius Julius Caesar. He was a powerful ruler and conquered several nations, but he soon realized when he started to conquer the unknown forests of this country that he could use the Shapeshifters living here to help him, and he swore that he would never kill one of us and use the sword against us. But he took the sword with him when he tried to conquer a large island, taking some of us with him. The sword stayed on this island together with our brethren for several hundred years until another king was able to use it, his name was Arthur. He swore to always protect the Shapeshifters, but he didn't know that those of us who had stayed here were slowly dying out because the oscillations the sword sent out were weak when they reached this country. The energy of the sword was getting weaker, and when our brethren from the island finally came back here, our numbers had been cut in half. There were always humans falling in love with a Shapeshifter, which helped, but they weren't enough._

_After several hundred years, our race had recovered but the times were uncertain and dangerous, the various European rulers fighting against each other, against other enemies and also against the Shapeshifters again, envying us our skills and long life. The Shapeshifters desperately searched for a place to hide because they didn't want to fight against their human brethren and they finally found shelter in the thick forests of this region, but their enemies followed them, determined to kill each and every Shapeshifter until there wouldn't be a single one left._

_At that time there was a powerful and brave king held captive here in Castle Trifels, and when he heard about the war and what his race wanted to do, he swore a holy oath to protect us. Richard of England had once been a warrior king himself, but his imprisonment and the suffering of his own people while he was trapped here had changed his heart, and he wanted to make up for the grief he had brought to so many people and protect the Shapeshifters from being erased from the surface of this planet._

_There was a young prince among the people living here, his name was Marcel, and he was kind and wanted to live in peace with every living being. He fell in love with one of us, Sebastian, whose true form was the eagle. Sebastian had brought the sword to King Richard, and Richard fought brave as a lion against our enemies, but the sword had lost energy over the thousands of years, and its power had become too weak. There was only one way to recharge the sword. The alien race had left a special crystal in a secret place not far away from the Trifels. It was the place where the huge spaceship had once landed, but now a monastery stood, and someone had to go there and take the crystal to bring it to the Trifels._

_When the young human prince Marcel and his Shapeshifter mate Sebastian heard that the sword needed to be charged with new energy, they went there together to take the crystal the monks kept in a shrine, but their enemies captured them when Marcel and Sebastian had reached the base of the mountain, and the only way to save the crystal was Sebastian turning into his true form to fly to the castle while Marcel fought against their attackers. The emperor's men were bloodthirsty and killed Marcel, and Sebastian was shot by an arrow. The sword could be recharged, but Sebastian died in Richard's arms - he was the last eagle, his true form dying with him._

_Richard defeated his enemies with the sword that was as powerful as it had ever been, and when the emperor and his men saw the power of the sword, they agreed to a peace treaty. From that day on, the last Shapeshifters were allowed to live in the forests surrounding the Trifels, and no human should ever do any harm to the second race living on Earth. This was more than eight hundred years ago, and our kin has never left the Pfälzer Wald ever since then. The Shapeshifters who had survived called the sword_ 'Lionheart's Sword' _from that day on, to honor the king who had been willing to fight for them and protect them with his own life. Every Shapeshifter knows the story of Richard the Lionheart, and we will never forget him or the sacrifice a young human prince and one of our brethren have made to save the rest of us. Xabi's parent was born shortly after this war, and so was Philipp's parent.”_

Mats ended his narration, and Robert swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. Thomas sitting beside him blinked as if waking up from a dream, and he blindly searched for Robert's hand under the table. Robert took it to gently squeeze it, and the young man turned his head to look at him.

Robert could see how shaken and touched the blond was, and he tenderly stroked his cheek. “Don't blame yourself for what others have done, you're human but not like these hate-filled people have been at all,” he said, and Erik sitting beside Thomas smiled with tears in his hazel-green eyes. “This is easier said than done, Robert. Thomas and I have been born long after the last war, but our country is still suffering from the aftermath, and our grandparents grew up when every German city still lay in ashes. How did the sword became the reason for such a horrible civil war?” he asked in a trembling voice, but Philipp shook his head.

“It is late, Erik, and Thomas and you really need to rest. We will tell you the story of this war and the reason why you two are here tomorrow before you will leave the castle to drive to Munich. Mario will bring you to your rooms where you will stay for the night.”

Robert shot the older Shapeshifter a stern look. “I will stay with Thomas!” he snarled, even though he knew that he would have to obey if the council decided to separate him from his human for the night.

But Philipp only nodded. “Of course, Robert. We wouldn't even think of separating you two or Marco and Erik. You can take a walk if you want to, but you are not allowed to leave the castle.”

Robert pressed his lips to a thin line when he saw the expression in Marco's eyes. His friend dreaded the next day, when Erik would finally learn why Robert and Marco were some kind of outlaws among the Shapeshifters, and Robert was grateful when he saw the unwavering trust and love in Erik's eyes. The young man took Marco's hand and smiled at him, and the blond Shapeshifter relaxed a little bit and rose to his feet.

“We won't leave the castle, Philipp,” he promised huskily, leaving the great hall together with his human with his head held up high and after two or three seconds, Robert stood up to follow Marco's example.

The four friends were silent, each of them lost in their thoughts as they followed Mario to the quarters where they would stay for the night, and Robert could only hope that Thomas and Erik wouldn't be disgusted and hate them when they learned about the rest of the whole story and the truth why Marco and Robert had brought them here.

 

_It is good to see here on this tower of Castle Fleckenstein that our ancestors were great architects and that they used the naturally grown stone to partly carve their castles directly into it. :-)_

  



	11. Important Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thomas and Erik have learned more about the Shapeshifters and their history, now they are finally alone with their bodyguards in the guest quarters of Castle Trifels...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised Janie94 to update this story on a regular basis and finish it, and I normally keep my promises. I wasn't at home last Friday and most of the week and weekend, so the update is later than usual.  
> This story hasn't gotten much feedback so far, and my pleas for comments fell on deaf ears again and again. Your reactions - your (earlier?) indifference and silence as much as (hopefully) possible positive support and feedback - will play a more than important role when it comes to my decision to either stay here in AO3 and keep writing for you or to delete my account/works of this fandom.  
> I need constant support, encouragment and feedback to my stories as much as each and every other author in this world, and this for all of my stories and on a regular basis. 
> 
> Silence is not a sign of approval, it is a sign of indifference and not caring at all, and it is hurtful and discouraging. Silence can be so much louder than yelled words will ever be, and your silence has been deafening loud and took all the joy I ever felt about writing and posting for you away from me. If you want me to stay, then talk to me again.

Marco didn't know how long he had stood by the window, watching the sun going down in a glowing orange ball and the evening shadows become longer and darker.

Erik had left him for a while to take a bath, the castle might be an old one and Marco's race preferred to live in the forest most of the time, but they had taken good care of their home and seen to each of the living quarters having a proper bathroom. The blond Shapeshifter had simply washed away the dirt from their journey, granting Erik the privacy he needed and deserved for his bath.

His brave human hadn't complained about the discomfort, the dirt and the cold during their journey and even though they had come very close, but they were not so close that bathing together would have been an option.

The sound of a door opening and closing again pulled him out of his serious thoughts, and the Shapeshifter turned around just in time to see Erik crossing the room with a smile on his face. Mario had brought him fresh clothes, a white tunic with long sleeves made of soft linen and leather breeches in a rich brown. The sight was breathtaking, the clothing from another century suiting his beautiful young man perfectly, and Marco ached to touch him and stroke his rosy cheeks.

“Why are you looking so sad, Marco?” Erik had reached him and regarded him with attentive eyes. “Are you not happy to be reunited with your brethren?”

Marco sighed and turned around to stare out of the window again. The sun wasn't visible any longer, but its light colored the grayness with red and orange spots and stripes, and the blond Shapeshifter could feel the presence of his brethren as a soft whisper in his mind. There were not many left of his kin, and most of them had stayed away from the castle, only the members of the council had come to talk to them and negotiate about their future.

It hurt Marco that the others didn't trust Robert and him enough to come to the castle and greet their brothers, but he knew that he had to accept the bitter truth. Only time could change this, and he had learned patience a long time ago. Erik's sweet smile and his trust in Marco was balm for his wounded soul, and Marco finally gave in to his desire and reached out to touch the young man's face. “I don't really know what I am feeling, Erik,” he admitted. “I can feel their presence but I am still separated from them, and it confuses and hurts me. I know that I have to be patient and win their trust, but that doesn't make it easier for me.”

It was hard for him to explain his feelings, but Erik seemed to understand him. “I can imagine how hard it must be for you. Your brethren have certainly their reasons, but I don't understand why they are treating you this way, nevertheless. You haven't been allowed to come here, so this place is as strange for you and Robert as it is for me and Thomas. I am glad that you are here with me, Marco, I don't think that I would feel safe without you among your kin, even though they have all been friendly so far.”

“Thank you, Erik, your trust means a lot to me,” whispered Marco, carding his fingers through Erik's soft and still a little bit damp hair. The young man nestled into the tender touch. “I know that we met only three days ago, but I have never felt as close to anyone in my entire life as I feel to you,” he said, and Marco swallowed, his longing and love for Erik overwhelming him.

“Maybe you will see that differently tomorrow when you know the rest of the story, Erik,” he gave back, desperately trying to keep up some distance between them.

Erik shook his head. “No, I won't. Nothing of what Mats or one of the others will tell us will ever change my feelings for you. Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault, and I can see the truth in your eyes. Do you blame me for what my human ancestors have done to your race, Marco? My family has lived in Pirmasens for centuries, it could be that one of them was among those who wanted to extinguish your race.”

Marco pulled Erik close to him, unable to resist the beautiful young man any longer. He could see in Erik's wonderful hazel-green eyes that he felt the same as Marco did, and Erik's unquestioning trust and his will to believe Marco and not judge him made the blond Shapeshifter feel humble and happy at the same time.

“No, of course not, Erik. I would never blame you for something someone else has done. You're absolutely not like one of those hate-filled humans who wanted to kill all of my people. You're special to me, and I will always protect you and cherish you, Erik.”

Erik nodded. “I believe you, my golden lion. You're special to me as well, and I know that you are honest and honorable and I trust you with my heart. You can be sure that I will never blame you for the deeds of another Shapeshifter, Marco.”

“Even if they were my parent?” Marco held his breath, waiting for Erik's answer. His human smiled tenderly at him and leaned in to kiss him on his forehead. “Not even then, Marco,” he whispered.

The blond Shapeshifter returned the smile with love and happiness. “Thank you, Erik, I will never betray your faith in me and I will never let anybody harm you.”

“I know.” Erik winked at him his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Isn't it about time to seal your promise with a proper kiss, Marco? I would really like you to kiss me now!”

This was something, his wonderful human didn't need to ask twice, and for a rather long time, there was nothing to be heard in the now dark room except for some soft sighs and happy moans that proved that the golden lion and his beautiful young man truly enjoyed their first kiss.

 

*~*~*~*

 

“What are you doing, Robert?” Thomas asked when he excited the bathroom just in time to see the dark-haired Shapeshifter take one of the cushions from the large bed to carry it to the armchair under the window.

Robert stopped in the middle of the bedchamber and turned around. “I thought that you would prefer to sleep alone and undisturbed now that you're getting the opportunity to finally sleep in a real bed again.”

Thomas frowned and stepped closer. “Without my purring panther teddy? Not really, Robert. Besides, the chair doesn't really look comfortable, at least not to sleep in it for an entire night. Unless you prefer to take the chair and sleep apart from me of course. I mean, I am only human, perhaps you're not interested in coming closer to me because of what I am...” His voice trailed off and he gazed uncertainly at the other male from under his eyelashes.

The next thing he knew was a dark shadow jumping him with a loud, angry and possessive growl, and all Thomas could do was wrap his arms around the dark-haired Shapeshifter and offer him his mouth for the fierce kiss Robert shut him up with.

Robert's lips were hot and passionate as he claimed what Thomas was more than willing to let him claim, and he returned the kiss with the same ardor, opening his lips and inviting Robert to explore the wonders hidden behind them.

His beautiful black panther growled again but this time, it was a pleased and tender growl proving to Thomas that he didn't need to worry about Robert not wanting him because he was human. His mind was spinning with lust and passion by the time Robert drew back from his thoroughly kissed red mouth, and he felt flushed and wide awake, craving to let the astonishing being that had conquered his heart claim his body like Robert had claimed his lips. They had met only three days ago, but Thomas couldn't imagine his life without Robert in it any longer, and as he now looked deep in the dark-blue eyes of the Shapeshifter, he could see that his feelings were returned with the same depth.

“Don't you ever dare say something like this again, Thomas!” Robert snarled, but the blond human sensed that his snarling came only from Robert's long suppressed passion and not from anger. “You're not 'only' human. You're perfect and most of all, you're mine! Mine to protect, mine to keep healthy and happy, and mine to touch and kiss. I won't let anybody else come near you, my kind is pretty possessive.”

The older man stroked his face with rapt devotion. “I have never met anyone like you before, Thomas, you're surely the most amazing being I've ever met, and I don't think of you as 'only human'. You're Thomas to me, and you're the first one who ever accepted me the way I am. My own kin punished me for something someone else has done without giving me the chance to prove that I am not a possible traitor, and this just because I am one of the two Keepers of _Lionheart's Sword_ , and all of the humans who learned about my true nature began to treat me differently afterwards. You are the first who didn't do that.”

Thomas blinked again. “How can you say that, Robert? I remember clearly my stupid behavior when you gave me the energy bars.” He still felt ashamed about his reaction, because he had of course known that Robert had stolen the motorbike and the bars only to protect him.

Robert smiled and kissed him tenderly. “But you didn't chide me because of me being a Shapeshifter, Thomas but because I had done something as your bodyguard you didn't appreciate. You didn't approve of the fact that I had to steal the motorbike and the energy bars, and I can assure you that stealing things is not a usual habit of mine anyway. I hated what I had to do as much as you did, and I know for sure that you would have chided me the same way if I had been your human bodyguard instead of a Shapeshifter. I promise to you that I will see to the couple getting a new motorbike and the shop owner getting their money when we're out of the woods. Jürgen Klopp and the heads of the _Sword Match_ will surely make that possible. I'm not a thief or a criminal.”

Thomas nodded. “Yes, I know that, Robert, and I am sorry that I treated you like one, even though it was only for a couple of minutes. Plus, you're right of course, I would have reacted the same way if you were human like me.”

“I was actually glad that you told me off, Thomas,” Robert chuckled amused.

“Why that?” Thomas asked, snuggling close to the fascinating male holding him so tenderly.

Robert gently pushed him away a little bit to look his human deep in the eyes, and Thomas' breath hitched in his throat when he saw the love shining in them.

“Because this proved that you don't care about who or what I am better than any verbose explanation could have done. You asked me to tell you the truth about me being a Shapeshifter, and you teased me with the comparison with your beloved teddy bear. You couldn't have found a better way to show me that nothing had changed between us, Thomas. For you, I was simply Robert, and I still am, no matter whether I appear as a human or in my true form. You even talk the same way to me when I turn into the panther, and this although I can't answer you with proper words then. You're not talking to an animal like humans talk to their puppies or cats, but just to me as Robert. I can tell the difference, I have watched enough humans talking to their pets or other animals to know that. This is something no one else has ever done except for Marco. But Marco doesn't count in this case. He is my best friend and my brother, but we always shared the same fate and were stuck together whether we wanted to or not. We could never argue or fight like friends, brothers or lovers do now and then, too afraid to lose each other and be completely alone then.”

Thomas pulled his beloved panther close again. “You are Robert in both manifestations, that's why I am talking to Robert. I don't even need to think about that. And you don't have to fear that this kind of forced harmony will ever happen between us, Robert. Something tells me that we will fight and argue a lot,” he laughed. “But us fighting with each other doesn't mean that I will ever love you less.”

Robert's eyes were dark with his desire. “Is that so? Do you really love me?”

“Do you really have to ask, my beautiful panther? Was our kiss not answer enough for you?” Thomas countered, his voice filled with longing. “I don't need to ask you, Robert, I can see your love for me shining in your eyes, and I could feel how much you love me when you finally kissed me.”

“Yes, I love you Thomas. More than words can express. I have never loved before, not the way I love you. But I think that I will need another kiss to be really sure that you truly love me just as much,” the Shapeshifter purred teasingly before pressing his lips onto Thomas' mouth once more.

Thomas closed his eyes and lost himself in Robert's embrace, and the feeling of loneliness and the doubts that had oftentimes weighed on his shoulders ever since he had left his home finally faded, because the answer to his question where his home was was simple:

His home was not a where, but a who.

 

_The pathes leading to the tops of the Pfälzer mountains are steep, but the view you will have after having climbed them will reward you more than enough for the arduous and strenuous uphill climb :-)_

  



	12. Night Over Trifels

The moon shone through the small window of the bedchamber, bathing the two lovers on the bed in its silvery light.

Marco had carried Erik to the large bed after their first shy and yet passionate kiss, and the beautiful young man had wrapped his arms around Marco's neck and smiled at him with trust and longing. The blond Shapeshifter was still amazed about Erik's willingness to trust him, the most precious gift he had ever received. His own kin hadn't been willing to trust him after decades of him trying to prove himself worthy their trust, judging him by what his parent had done.

Erik was human and had no reason to trust him at all after all that had happened since they had met three days ago with Marco stealing a car and dragging him into the wilderness, but the astonishing young man had simply accepted the things he couldn't change and let Marco take care of him without any sign of fear or mistrust. Erik had even kept his composure when he had found himself face to face with a huge lion all of a sudden, and Marco would protect him with his own life and strive to make him happy.

The Shapeshifter who looked like a handsome young man himself when he wasn't in his true form let his lips travel over Erik's heated face with rapt devotion, dwelling in the soft moans he evoked with his tender ministration.

 _'You're so beautiful, my sweet Erik, so perfect and wonderful,'_ Marco thought as he captured the soft lips in another deep and passionate kiss. _'You're the most beautiful being I've ever seen!'_

“You are beautiful, Marco, much more beautiful than I am!”

Erik's huskily whispered words startled the blond Shapeshifter, and he raised his head to look at him. “What did you say?”

“I said that you're much more beautiful than I am,” Erik repeated. “You're my golden lion not only in your true form, but also in your human appearance.”

“But I didn't speak loud, Erik, I only thought that you're the most beautiful being in the world,” Marco stammered, hardly daring to believe what Erik's reaction implied.

The brunet frowned. “You didn't? But I heard your voice loud and clear!”

The Shapeshifter stroked his face and kissed him again, deeply and ardently, his tongue exploring Erik's sweet mouth eagerly. _'Can you still hear me, darling?'_ he asked with his thoughts, focusing on sending them in Erik's direction. _'Try to answer me with only your mind.'_

 _'Oh, wow, that's... wow?!'_ Erik's exclaimed baffled, Marco could feel his excitement and his happiness as if they were his own feelings. _'How is that possible, Marco? I am human and not able to read thoughts!'_

_'That's true under normal circumstances. But you spent the last days in close company with Mario, and Mario has a special ability like every other Shapeshifter. He is a so called catalyst, he can awake telepathy not only in our own kin, because there are some of us who have difficulties with telepathy, but also in humans under certain circumstances.'_

_'I see,'_ Erik gave back, sounding puzzled. _'Which circumstances would that be? I might be good enough to be a footballer and play for the honor of winning_ Lionheart's Sword _for the city I represent, but I am surely not more special than any other human.'_

_'We have to ask Mario. I don't know whether he did that on purpose or if it just happened, but he truly likes you and trusts you, maybe he wanted us becoming able to communicate this way.'_

There was a short silence, and Marco drew back a little bit when he felt Erik's mixed feelings about the truly unexpected turnout. The young man who had gone through so much was excited and happy about the prospect of sharing Marco's thoughts and feelings in this intimate way, but he was also confused, wary, uncomfortable and scared, and Marco could understand him and didn't feel hurt or rejected. Robert and he had always preferred to talk to each other with spoken words in their human form, and they had always respected each other's privacy and never forced the mental bonding against the other one's will.

“I would never oppress your mind and read your thoughts against your will, Erik,” he said aloud, “I would never do that to you, I respect you far too much for that.”

Erik smiled at him with visible relief shining in his eyes. “You're not angry with me that I don't want us to be connected this way the entire time?”

“Of course not, darling. Robert and I weren't connected the whole time either. This is our way to communicate when we are in our true form, but we Shapeshifters value our privacy and autonomy as much as humans do,” Marco assured him gently, kissing Erik tenderly on his nose.

The young man beamed at him and pulled his head down for another kiss. _'Thank you for your understanding, my golden lion. I want to bond with you like that, I really do, only not all of the time.'_

 _'I feel the same way, darling,'_ Marco purred in his mind, _'I will always ask for permission before I'll bond with you, I promise you.'_

Erik relaxed in his arms, his hands roaming over the warm and smooth skin on Marco's back. _'I need you, Marco, I want to be close to you and feel you!'_ he moaned almost desperately, and the blond Shapeshifter felt his blood boiling with want and passion in his veins through the wave of longing and desire washing over him with violent force.

“I want you too, my sweet Erik, I want you just as much,” Marco whispered against his swollen lips, dabbing heated kisses all over his face. They were still connected and shared each other's feelings, but the Shapeshifter couldn't keep the words of passion and longing inside. He had lived among humans for far too long to only talk mentally to Erik and apart from that, their bond was still too new and fresh for both of them.

Erik sighed, a soft sound that held a world of emotions in it, and he stroked Marco's human body with tender hands, exploring every single inch of warm and naked skin. Marco did the same while he sent his pleasure and his love through their mental bond, careful to not overwhelm the young man with his emotions. It had been a very long time since he had been so close to anyone, and there had never been true love involved when he had sought warmth and forgetting in a pair of tender arms.

With Erik, it was different, because Marco loved his human with all his heart, and he longed to take him as his true mate. But this would have to wait until after the _Sword Match_ , and Marco was glad that Erik didn't ask him to go further. The blond Shapeshifter could feel that Erik was rather inexperienced and innocent when it came to sex, which was no wonder because of who he was. The young footballer had lived secluded from the rest of the world, the heads and organizers of the _Sword Match_ making sure that none of the chosen players became distracted from their ultimate goal of winning the match for their city.

After carrying him to the bed, Marco had undressed Erik with greatest care before undressing himself, and the young man had stood before him in all his naked glory, wearing nothing but a smile on his face, a smile that had been shy, innocent and seducing at the same time.

More kisses had followed after lying down on the bed, and the short interruption hadn't diminished their desire for each other. Quite the opposite, being mentally connected for the first time, even though it was only a feather-light touch, aroused Marco's passion further, and he couldn't resist the temptation any longer and reached down to caress Erik on his most intimate parts.

The young man moaned and his thighs fell open to their own will to give his lover better access. Marco carded his fingers gently through his pubic hair, soft and damp from Erik's strong arousal. It tickled at Marco's fingertips and he teased his sweet human for a while, silencing his moans with his kiss. Erik tasted so good and Marco couldn't get enough of their kisses, of Erik's long and elegant fingers digging into his scalp to pull him closer and Erik's cheeky tongue dueling playfully with his own.

 _'My golden lion, please I need to, I need to feel your hand...'_ Erik's need echoed in Marco's head, and a hot wave of tenderness surged through the Shapeshifter. _'I'll give you what you need, darling,'_ he promised him gently, finally cupping Erik's twitching erection with his warm hand.

“Oooohhh, Marco!” Erik arched into the touch, his nails scratching over the blond's shoulders. “Please!” the young man gasped out, and Marco purred contentedly into his ear as he started to stroke up and down on Erik's proud manhood. It felt so good in his hand, warm, silken flesh over hard steel, and Marco's own human sex reacted forcefully to the sensation and started to leak wetness, smearing the milky droplets all over Erik's naked thigh.

 _'Can I touch you, Marco?'_ Erik's shy question was only a soft whisper in his head, but the Shapeshifter heard it nevertheless, his mental feelers directed towards the human in his arms only. Marco could still sense the presence of his brethren in his mind, but it was more like a quiet background noise, comforting the Shapeshifter who had been separated from his own kin for far too long, but not invading their privacy.

 _'Of course you can touch me, darling,'_ Marco answered him through their bond, and the young man reached out to wrap his own hand around Marco's hard member, his first cautious caresses an infatuating mixture of eagerness and shyness. It didn't take long until Erik lost his shyness and his strokes became firmer, and the blond Shapeshifter had to kiss him again to silence the loud mewls of pleasure that threatened to flee his throat.

Nothing had ever felt as good as Erik's caresses, and Marco matched the rhythm of his own strokes with Erik's and thrust with his tongue deep into the soft cavern of Erik's mouth, imitating the act of lovemaking. The sweet human trembled in his arms and kissed him back with the same passion Marco felt, exploring Marco's mouth hungrily and taking control of their kiss.

The Shapeshifter gratefully lost himself in the lust and arousal their caresses and kisses made him feel, pushing his fear about Erik's reaction when he learned more about his true nature back in the farthest corner of his mind. The young man who had stolen his heart would learn soon enough that Marco wasn't what he seemed to be at first sight, and if this would be their only passionate encounter because of that, then Marco wanted to enjoy and savor it to the fullest.

Their movements became faster and more and more urgent as they came closer to the edge, and Marco drew back from Erik's red lips to not miss the wonderful sight of his beautiful face when he would come. Erik's eyes were closed, his long and dark eyelashes shimmering half moons on his pale, rose-flushed skin. Marco's heart clenched with the love he felt for this wonderful and amazing being, and he encouraged Erik with hoarsely whispered words of love and tenderness to let go and come for him.

Erik moaned softly when he reached his peak, shuddering in Marco's arms as he found his release, his overwhelming ecstasy whirling through their mental bond and pushing the Shapeshifter over the edge as well. Marco came with a gasp, spilling his hot seed all over Erik's tender fingers. For a long and precious moment, nothing than their love and pleasure existed, and Marco held the human he loved close, knowing that he would never love anybody else the way he loved Erik, the bravest human he had ever met.

 

*~*~*~*

 

After their serious and honest talk, Robert and Thomas had made their way to the bed, impatiently ripping their clothes from their bodies.

Robert couldn't stop kissing and touching the young man lying so willingly in his arms, returning his feverish caresses with the same ardor. Robert had fallen for Thomas right at first sight but fought against his feelings until he had seen Thomas lying unconscious on the forest floor. His heart had almost stopped beating when he had checked him, and the dark-haired Shapeshifter had nearly started to cry with relief when he had felt Thomas' pulse beating steadily against his fingertips.

Robert had been angry with himself that he hadn't protected Thomas better, and he knew that he would never have forgiven himself if Thomas had been seriously injured.

“I love you, I love you so much!” whispered Robert against Thomas' vulnerable throat, licking and nibbling at the soft and fragrant flesh with rapt devotion. Thomas' tempting scent was the strongest here, and Robert growled and pushed his human lover down on the mattress to cover him with his body and rub his aching arousal against Thomas' hard abs. The blond's body was hard and soft in all the right places, and Robert lost himself in his loving embrace and let Thomas' love and passion wash over him.

The Keeper of _Lionheart's Sword_ hadn't known that he could love like he loved his wonderful young man, that he could desire another one with the force he desired Thomas. Robert had never dared to come close to another being except Marco, and Marco was his brother and his best friend, but he had never filled the hole and the emptiness in Robert's heart the way Thomas did.

“I love you too, Robert, I love you more than anything!” Thomas sounded astonished and happy at the same time, and he searched for Robert's lips and pulled impatiently at his hair when the Shapeshifter pushed his tongue into his ear instead.

Robert chuckled and obeyed, swallowing Thomas' moan with his mouth. Their tongues met and started to dance the old dance of love and passion again, and Robert regretted that he couldn't make the human he loved so much his the right way. This would have to wait until after the match, and Robert would wait patiently even though it took all of his strength to not react to Thomas' unconscious invitation when the young man spread his legs.

“I will make you mine, love,” Robert murmured against Thomas' swollen lips, “I long to be as close to you as only possible as much as you do. But tonight is not the right time, not until you're safe in Munich and the game is over.”

“I don't care about this match!” Thomas pouted, and Robert stroked his cheek and kissed his forehead. “This game is important for my kin, love. This game will decide our future so please be patient.”

The young footballer swallowed and his expression changed when he saw the look in Robert's blue eyes. “I will,” Thomas promised, “I will do everything I'll have to do to save you and your brethren, Robert.”

“I know, love, I trust you with my heart and my life.” Robert bent down and kissed him again, pulling him close and moving against him. They were both slick with the pleasure their kisses had milked from them, and it didn't take long until they reached the height of ecstasy and complete satisfaction together, their moans and purrs filling the air with their sweet music.

When it was over, the human curled himself up in Robert's arms with a soft sigh, nuzzling his neck.

“Will you be my purring panther teddy during the night again?” Thomas asked sleepily, and Robert smiled and kissed his hair. “If you want me to, love.”

“I do, I really do. I love having my big and purring black panther curled around me at night.” the blond peered at him with one pleading green-blue eye, and Robert kissed him goodnight and turned into his true form, wrapping his paws and his long black tail around him to keep his human lover warm and safe.

It didn't take long until Thomas was sound asleep, snuggled close to his beloved panther, and the big cat that was actually a Shapeshifter curled itself around him and closed its deep blue eyes, following the young man into the land of dreams with soft and happy purrs.

  



	13. Special Skills

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our two couples have spent the night together in a cozy bed, strengthening their bond. The next day, they have to face the other Shapeshifters again, learning more about them and their special abilities...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you who took their time to leave kudos and a comment. <33

Erik could feel Marco's nervousness as if it was his own when they entered the large hall the next morning. The blond bodyguard - who had become so much more than that to the young footballer within only three days - had been silent ever since they had woken up, Marco curled around his human in his true form to keep him safe and warm during the night.

Erik loved sleeping snuggled close to his golden lion, and Marco had happily agreed to his shy request when Erik had asked him to turn into his purring tomcat after their passionate lovemaking. The young man would have preferred Marco staying in his true form for a while longer now that he could mentally bond with him, but the Shapeshifter had been the handsome blond man again when Erik had left the bathroom, and he also hadn't tried to connect with him telepathically. The brunet suspected that Marco wanted to spare himself the heartache when Erik would look at him with disgust after learning 'the truth' about him how he had called it, and the footballer was sensitive enough to know that nothing would convince Marco that this wouldn't happen.

Only Erik's honest first reaction after listening to Mats and Philipp would show Marco that he had worried over nothing, and Erik hadn't poked the amazing being he loved so much with questions and useless attempts to reassure him. Instead he had smiled at him and kissed him good morning and agreed to meet Marco's brethren and have breakfast.

Erik smiled when he saw Thomas and Robert emerging on the threshold shortly after them, both looked as happy as he himself felt, and Robert's gaze became soft whenever he looked at the blond human who had conquered his heart that easily. They didn't touch but walked closely side by side, and Thomas unconsciously leaned closer when they sat down.

Erik took some of the fruit and the cheese, nibbling absentmindedly at the food while they waited for Mats and Philipp. The other Shapeshifters were already sitting at the table, murmuring a greeting that sounded as uncomfortable as Marco felt. Erik wasn't really hungry, Marco's nervousness rubbing off on him, but he knew that he needed to eat. Thomas showed more appetite, but Robert's parent hadn't been the one betraying their kind, and it was understandable that the dark-haired Shapeshifter felt less worried than Marco did.

“Good morning, Erik, Marco, good morning Thomas and Robert. We hope you slept well.” Mats and Philipp appeared in the doorway as unexpectedly and inaudibly as if they were ghosts, and Erik saw Thomas flinching and leaning against Robert's shoulder.

The Shapeshifter with the deep blue eyes answered for all of them. “Yes, we did. Thank you. This place has always been in Marco's and my blood, in our minds, but it is much more beautiful and special than we could ever have imagined.”

Mats sighed at his words and the hidden reproach, but Philipp only lifted his chin in something akin to defiance and anger. “We missed you too, Robert. You have always been our brothers, even though you haven't been allowed to come here up until this day.”

Erik felt anger rising in his gut as well, but Thomas was faster. His friend and opponent when it came to the _'Sword Match'_ cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes. “I honestly have had enough of these mysterious and ambiguous hints, Philipp. Just spill what you have to say, will you?” the blond snapped, and Erik suppressed a pleased chuckle. “I would be grateful to be enlightened as well,” he said, “we have been brought here more or less against our will after all.”

Mats and Philipp exchanged a look and sat down at the table, Philipp at the small end closer to the door while Mats took the seat at the small side next to the stair that led upwards, probably to the tower Erik had seen the previous evening.

“Fair enough,” the small Shapeshifter whose true form was the hawk began speaking after a couple of seconds, “but there are some things about us you have to know first.”

Thomas searched for Robert's hand and his bodyguard squeezed it gently. Erik did the same, tightening his grip when Marco tried to pull away. _'I love you, Marco, so please stop fighting against me!'_ he sent out, hoping that the blond Shapeshifter would get the message. His lion didn't respond, but he let Erik stroke his hand and didn't try to pull away any longer.

“Our kin have special abilities like Xabi being able to heal wounds, even mortal injuries under special circumstances.” Philipp looked from Erik to Thomas, and both humans nodded. “Yes, go ahead, please,” Erik encouraged the Shapeshifter, and Philipp sighed but continued.

“My ability is mental connection over very long distances. I can stay in contact with my brethren even over several hundred miles. It is difficult and uses up a lot of strength, but it is possible. I was the one informing your head trainer Jürgen Klopp about what happened because my brethren watching the four of you told me where you were and what you were doing.”

Erik had already thought that Marco's and Robert's kin had watched them, but having his suspicion confirmed made him feel uncomfortable. He hadn't seen any other animal or living being except for Marco and Mario, but it was clear now why Marco had marked him before their journey through the forest had started.

“Sven and Lars are identical twins in both forms, and they have a special connection that allows them to double their power, strength and speed while Manu is capable of communicating with animals that have a certain level of intelligence.”

Philipp paused again, and Erik had to admit that he felt intrigued. “And what are Jakub's and Mats' special skills?” he wanted to know, sensing that Philipp would tell them Marco's and Robert's skills only when he had informed them about the other Shapeshifters.

The dark-blond Shapeshifter pursed his lips. “You're not asking about Mario's ability,” he drawled, and Erik grinned at him. “Yeah, because I already know that he's a catalyst. The only thing I don't know is whether he did it on purpose or by accident.” The brunet shot a sidelong glance at Mario, who had been silent so far as one of the youngest but looked rather pleased with himself. “I didn't really do it on purpose at first, but I do like you and when I sensed how much you love Marco, I couldn't resist. The thought of not being bonded to my mate is strange to me, I'm sorry, I should have asked you first.” The young Shapeshifter smiled apologetically at Erik, and the young footballer smiled back at him.

“You don't need to be sorry, Mario, I appreciate what you did. Marco assured me that I can stay alone in my head whenever I wish to, and it is a wonderful thing to be that close to him.”

“Thank you, Erik, I'm relieved that you feel that way.” Mario relaxed, but Thomas looked pretty jealous. “Does it means that Marco and you have a mental bond?” he demanded, and Erik nodded. “Yes, Thomas. We found out yesterday night when we were alone in our quarters.”

“I see.” Thomas swallowed, the expression on his face showing all of his disappointment, and Mario hurried to say after shooting a pleading glance at his mate Mats: “I can do the same for you if you want that, Thomas. We only met yesterday and it takes some time, but if I'll stay close enough to you today, I should be able to awake your telepathy.”

Thomas frowned. “That sounds as if I already had telepathy. I thought you would somehow plant that into me.”

Mario shook his head. “Every human has telepathy. Your kin only never developed the will to use it. Maybe you have once possessed it but lost it thousands of years ago. It must have happened before our ancestors came to this planet though and they obviously thought it better to let your natural telepathic skills sleep and awake it in only few humans. Twins are to be found among humans even more than they are known among my brethren. Their special bond is based on your sleeping telepathy. I couldn't awake what isn't already there, no Shapeshifter can do that.”

Thomas turned his head to gaze at Robert. “Would you mind me wanting to connect with you?” he asked, and Erik could hear his voice trembling with the fear that Robert would reject him. The dark-haired Keeper gently stroked his cheek. “On the contrary, Thomas, I would love that. But you must be aware that Mario doing that for you would also mean that my brothers can connect with you. Plus, Erik and you will be able to do that in the future as well, and this will be very confusing at the beginning.”

Thomas exchanged an astonished glance with Erik. “That would be fun, what do you think, Erik?”

Erik nodded. “Oh yes, I wouldn't mind that if you promise me to not sneak around in my head.”

Thomas grinned. “I don't think that I want to know everything!” He waggled his eyebrows meaningfully, jerking his head in Marco's direction.

“You have the permission to do that, Mario. It will actually be helpful for us,” Philipp made himself known again. “Jakub's special skill is to bundle and increase the mental abilities of all of us to a level that we can even create images humans can see. This ability helped us to keep your kin away from this area over centuries.”

Erik flinched when he suddenly remembered why his short trip into the Pfälzer Wald had scared him so much. It had been day and the sun had been shining, but Erik had seen several mysterious shadows that had followed him, shadows he had thought to be ghosts. He peered at the bear-Shapeshifter, and Jakub's expression softened when he saw Erik's scared glance.

“I'm sorry Erik, I remember the sweet young boy you once were very well. It wasn't your time to visit us back then. We would never have harmed you because Mats had told us that you were one of the two chosen humans.”

“Chosen humans?” Marco hadn't said anything since they had left their quarters, and his voice sounded husky as he now spoke up. Erik squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

Philipp nodded. “Yes, Marco. You know Mats' special capability, the raven is able to see glimpses of the future. He fell into trance shortly after Thomas' and Erik's birth and saw you two becoming the captains of Munich's and Dortmund's teams, and he also saw what will happen after the final _'Sword Match'_. He watched you ever since then, and he visited your homes often during your childhood. Thomas once caught him sitting in the large tree in the garden of his parents' house and started to talk to him. Mats was the one who sent the scouts to you, and he also warned Jürgen Klopp about the renegades. Mats and I are the only Shapeshifters having contact with humans except for Marco and Robert.”

Thomas pursed his lips. “If you knew about the renegades and what will happen, why didn't you just eliminate the threat?” he inquired, and Philipp sighed. “We are not allowed to change the future, Thomas. It would do greatest damage to the entire planet. All we could do was to make sure that the things Mats saw would come true.”

The blond nodded slowly. “I see. That makes sense I guess. So all of these events have been defined by fate?”

“If you want to call it fate, Thomas, then yes. Your paths have been written down by fate as much as ours.”

“Do you also know what will happen after today, Mats?” Erik asked, and the Shapeshifter with the black curls and the dark-brown eyes looked intently at him. “Yes, I know that too. But I won't tell you or influence you. I trust Thomas and you to make the right decisions when time has come.”

“How informative!” Thomas mocked, but his voice was small and he rubbed his temple. “And what are Marco's and Robert's special skills? They must have something to do with the sword, right?”

“Yes, they have.” Philipp's expression was stoic, but Erik could tell by the tension in his shoulders that the powerful Shapeshifter was nervous and felt uncomfortable in Robert's and Marco's presence, something he couldn't understand at all. Erik had never felt safer in his life than with Marco at his side, and he could see that it was the same for Thomas and Robert. The blond human and the dark-haired Keeper had entangled their fingers on Robert's thigh, and Erik did the same with Marco, stroking Marco's palm with his thumb to calm him down.

 _'Just remember that I will always love you, no matter what Philipp will tell us!'_ he reminded Marco tenderly, and his lion huffed a sigh and smiled cautiously at him. _'Thank you for your trust, darling. I would never harm you, I'd rather die.'_

 _'Yes, I know,'_ Erik confirmed, shifting his attention back to Philipp.

“Marco's and Robert's certain skills have indeed something to do with the sword. There had been four of us who had them until that horrible war, their true form the one of a big cat. But the tiger and the spotted panther died without descendants, and only the lion and the black panther survived, the two most powerful Keepers of the sword. Marco and Robert have a direct and strong connection to the sword, they can sense its location even over hundreds of miles, and they can boost the power of the sword, the destructive ones as much as its good power. Plus, the sword boosts their power and strength as well. Therefore, the keepers have always had close contact to the few humans who were capable of handling it, which turned out to become our blessing as much as our curse.”

Philipp stopped, his gave traveling to Marco sitting beside Erik with a stiff back and lips pressed to a thin, white line.

The two Shapeshifters measured each other with angry glances until Marco finally growled deep in his throat. “Come on, Phlipp, what are you waiting for? Why don't you tell Erik and Thomas the ugly story about my parent and what he did? Why you and the others decided to make Robert and me outlaws?”

The smaller Shapeshifter swallowed and Erik saw the regret in his eyes. The young footballer truly wished that he could spare Marco that, but he knew that it was important for Thomas and he himself that they learned the entire truth. Not to mention that Marco would always doubt Erik's true love for him if he couldn't prove to him that the past didn't matter to Erik at all.

“I don't want to see Marco hurt, but I know that this story is important for Thomas and me to understand everything, so please don't keep us in suspense any longer, Philipp,” he said, tenderly stroking Marco's hand.

Philipp drew in a deep breath and straightened in his chair.

“Very well, Erik. Then listen carefully to me, because you will learn now how it came that your people fought for three hundred years against each other and why _Lionheart's Sword_ caused so much harm and destruction.”

 

 _View over the Wasgau and the Vosges to Castle Fleckenstein, the small spot in the middle. This picture is taken from Castle Loewenstein, lying in France like the Fleckenstein nowadays. It has been the castle of a robber baron and was destroyed in the Middle Ages._  



	14. The Ghosts Of The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time for Erik and Thomas to hear the entire story of what happened in the past and why Marco and Robert became outlaws...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Janie94, I promised to update this story and I apologize for the delay. I have to refill my cushion because there are only two more chapters left ready to post so far, I hope that I will find back my joy for writing soon enough to do that. <33

_“Our races lived next to each other in peace and harmony for the next four hundred years, our kin here in the thick forests of the Pfälzer Wald, while your race, the humans, started to expand and to develop the technology that would enable you to even reach those places in this world where humans hadn't been able to explore before this technology. Your number increased at an astonishing pace while Shapeshifters procreate only once in their lifetimes. Your race needed more and more space, and when several hundred years had passed, they even wanted to claim these forest for themselves again._

_Two cities had become the biggest and most important cities over the decades and centuries, the cities of Dortmund and Munich. They had expanded their territories up to the Pfälzer Wald, because this region more or less lies in the middle between these two cities. Both cities, Dortmund and Munich, wanted the right to build new villages here in our territory, and they sent emissaries to negotiate with the Shapeshifters living here and persuade them to choose their own city over the other one.”_

Philipp paused and cleared his throat, looking back and forth between the other members of the council sitting at the one side of the large table and the two Keepers and their human companions sitting at the other side. Robert returned the older Shapeshifter's gaze impassively, stroking briefly over Thomas' hand resting on his thigh.

The dark-haired Keeper had never heard the whole story, and he had a hard time keeping his face stoic, but he needed to stay strong and reasonable for Marco's sake, the blond Keeper sitting white as snow and stiffly on his chair. Erik beside him looked grim, obviously determined to defend his bodyguard at all cost and with everything he had, and Robert felt utter gratitude that his friend had found a mate who loved him as unquestioningly as the young man did.

Marco had been his only family for almost all of his life, and he would defend him against every accusation together with Erik. Marco wasn't responsible for what his parent had done, and Robert wouldn't let his brethren blame him for the deed of another.

Philipp continued with his narration, and Robert focused his attention back on him, smiling briefly at his own special human when Thomas gently squeezed his hand.

_“The emissaries were two young princes with their entourages, and they came to Castle Trifels for the negotiations. The Shapeshifters trusted them to keep the oath they had sworn, that they would keep the peace as long as the negotiations would last. Our ancestors felt safe because of the protection Lionheart's Sword granted them, and they welcomed the princes and offered them their hospitality and their trust._

_Everything went smoothly for the first couple of days, but both cities were determined to achieve their goals and lay their claim on this region, while our brethren refused to grant one of the cities the right to build their villages while the other city would be left out. Both parties didn't want to give up though, and the negotiations became more heated and hostile. The Shapeshifters searched desperately for a way to avoid another war when something totally unexpected happened. The two last Keepers of_ Lionheart's Sword _had been left out of the negotiations, their task to protect the sword and the chamber where the crystal was hidden, but one of the princes had played false and made one of the Keepers fall in love with him.”_

“How can you know that this prince 'played false' as you put it, Philipp?” Thomas demanded angrily, interrupting Philipp's story and startling Robert with his growled question. “Maybe this prince didn't want to play a devious game but truly loved Marco's parent?”

Erik who had wrapped his arm around Marco's shoulder visible for everyone to see nodded vigorously. “Thank you, Thomas! I wanted to ask the same question. Did you live when all of this happened? Have you been a part of these events and seen everything with your own eyes, Philipp?”

The Shapeshifter blushed slightly, looking at his mate Manuel for help. “No, I haven't been a part of these events. My own parent told me the story. None of us lived back then. Mats and I were born several decades after that.”

Erik snorted. “I see. And the thought that your parents might have misinterpreted something never crossed your mind?” Marco smiled gratefully at the young man, but he shook his head. “It's true, Erik. My parent told me the same story. He fell in love with this prince...” The blond Keeper went silent and looked back and forth between Thomas and Erik. “I don't think that it matters whether it was the prince the city of Dortmund had sent or the prince coming from Munich. The truth is that my father was blinded by his love for this prince and his human mate's sweet promises, and that he stole the sword and followed the prince when he left the castle during a stormy night.”

Marco pressed his lips to a thin line, and Robert's heart ached for his friend. Marco had never been anything than faithful and honest, willing to protect _Lionheart's Sword_ and give his own life for its safety, and he had suffered enough for what his parent had done. Both of them had suffered enough for that.

Erik kissed the desperate blond on his cheek. “We will never know what really happened in that night a very long time ago, and I don't think that your parent – or Philipp's parent,” he shot a stern and disapproving glance in Philipp's direction, “has really told you everything. But one thing I know for sure. No matter whether we are humans or Shapeshifters, we are all imperfect, beings meant to make mistakes and wrong decisions, and you are not to blame for any of what happened, Marco. I will never love you less because of what another one did.”

Robert watched his friend turning his head to bury his face on Erik's shoulder, and he could see that he wasn't the only one touched by this visible proof of the deep love that bound a young human and a Shapeshifter together. Thomas pulling at his hand made him turn his head in his direction, and when his own wonderful human smiled tenderly at him, Robert leaned in and kissed him.

“I agree with Erik here, Robert,” Thomas said loud enough for everyone to hear, “whatever happened and whoever did what, it happened a long time ago, and we should stop blaming those who are living here and now but weren't even born back then for these tragic events.”

“You are right, Thomas. It took us a rather long time to realize that ourselves, but we finally did, that's why you are here,” Mats spoke up, looking pointedly at Philipp, who didn't seem convinced but finally nodded. “But you should still hear the whole story and what happened afterwards to understand the reason why we wanted you and Erik to come here.”

Thomas took Robert's hand again, exchanging a quick glance with Erik. “Okay, but only the facts please, without any judgment.”

Philipp took a deep breath and straightened his shoulders, and Robert couldn't help but feel pity with him. He was sure that the smaller Shapeshifter, whose true form was the hawk, was a good leader for their kin, and that his actions and his words came only from his wish to protect the last of their kind and make sure that they could keep their home, the last refuge that had been left for them.

“I am sure that Philipp does his best to tell us everything without judging anyone, he has always been a good leader and guide for our kin, that much I can tell without ever having been here.”

Philipp smiled gratefully at him, and Marco relaxed and nodded. “You're right, Robert. Please go on, Philipp.”

_“Whatever it was making Marco's parent take the sword and leave his home, it had severe consequences. The prince of the other city and his entourage left Castle Trifels the very next morning to go after them and fight against them, accusing the Shapeshifters of having betrayed his city. Our ancestors could defeat them together with the help of Robert's parent who had stayed in the castle, the sword was still close enough to boost his strength. There were more of our kind back then, four hundred years ago, and the Shapeshifters were able to chase them away and defend their home against the human invaders who came after them. The betrayed prince went back home to his own city, telling them what had happened while Robert's parent left his home after the council's trial, promising to protect_ Lionheart's Sword _and to make sure that it would never be used against our kin. Our parents and ancestors were too few in number to fight against the armies of the humans and bring the sword back where it belonged, but no other human after Richard the Lionheart has been capable of touching the sword without being burnt over the centuries, and as long as the Keepers would live and protect it, our race would live in relative safety._

_Both cities started a horrible war against each other though, their rulers wanting the sword for themselves, because it would give them power over not only the other city, but also over the for them still alien race living at the border of their territories; and the winning party threatened to start a fight against the last Shapeshifters and kill them all if the two Keepers wouldn't agree to bringing the sword to their city._

_The war between Munich and Dortmund went on for more than three hundred years, but the true reason why this war had started became forgotten over the decades and centuries because of the rather short time span humans live. Their descendants only remembered that Lionheart's Sword was a magical sword and that they wanted to have it at all costs until a few brave fighters of each city decided to negotiate and find a solution that would end this horror._

_The solution finally came in form of the_ Sword Match _. Football had once been a sport to train the soldiers fighting against each other, to train their reflexes and their endurance, and when the two generals of Dortmund's and Munich's armies met each other one night on neutral ground to negotiate a truce, they came up with the idea to let football decide about the resting place of the sword in the future. Two teams would fight against each other in a match, and the winner would bring the sword to the city they had fought for for a period of five years. No human being should die because of the sword in the future, and the city councils agreed to General Heynckes' and General Schneider's proposal, tired of the war and the countless lives it had cost.”_

Philipp went silent, it was clear to see that retelling the events of the past had exhausted him. Thomas leaned against his shoulder, stifling a sob, and Erik had wrapped both arms around Marco's trembling shoulders. The blond Keeper had closed his eyes, and the lines around his mouth pressed to a thin line showed his grief and his exhaustion. Listening to Philipp's story must have drained him completely, and Robert felt helpless anger rising in his gut, suppressing it only because he didn't want to scare the young man still stroking his hand. Thomas had nothing to do with all of this, his parents hadn't even been born back then, and the dark-haired Keeper feared that his brethren would try to use him and the other young man Marco loved so much to achieve what they wanted to have. Robert wasn't quite sure what his kin wanted from Erik and Thomas, but he had a vague idea.

No one spoke, and Robert let his gaze travel over the other members of the council. Neither Mats, nor one of the others dared to meet his eyes, only Mario as the youngest one and Jakub returned his glance, Mario with an apologetic smile, and the Bear-Shapeshifter with silent understanding.

“You should add that Robert and most of all Marco were the ones convincing General Heynckes and General Schneider to negotiate and search for a less bloody solution, Philipp. Mats was with them when Marco suggested to turn the war into a football match,” Jakub now said, his voice calm and filled with the regret he apparently felt about Marco's and Robert's punishment. “If Marco and Robert hadn't done what they did, there would still be war between Munich and Dortmund, and more people would have died, humans as well as some of our brethren.”

Philipp lowered his head down for a moment, and Mats answered for him. “You are right, Jakub, and you have always been the one voting for Marco and Robert being allowed to come here and at least visit us. But you know that it is far more complicated than that. At the beginning, there was still fighting and mistrust among Dortmund and Munich despite the _'Sword Match'_ , and they couldn't leave _Lionheart's Sword_ alone for such a long time. Plus, most of our brethren were still mistrustful. The older ones still remembered clearly what Marco's parent had done, and they feared that it would happen again. It is not easy to trust again after such a long period of war and horror, even though we weren't involved directly in this civil war. But our kin suffered deeply nonetheless, and this is the reason why we needed so long to overcome our fears.”

“You shouldn't have kept Marco and Robert away from their home for that long nevertheless.” Erik might be human, a young man without much experience, but Robert had to smile when he saw the grim look in his eyes. In this moment, Erik reminded him of Marco in his true form, a young but strong and fierce lion that would protect the ones he loved with claws and teeth, his voice truly sounding like the powerful roar of the king of the animals. Erik and Marco had much more in common than Robert had first thought, and they were truly the perfect match for each other.

“Yes, Erik is right! Even more after Marco and Robert having saved not only our poor human asses, but yours as well!” Thomas had apparently found his tongue again, angry at the behalf of his beloved purring panther. Robert's chest tightened with the love he felt for this astonishing young man, and he stroked his cheek and smiled tenderly at him.

“We had to protect _Lionheart's Sword_ , love. This has been the task of every Keeper ever since Richard the Lionheart saved my kin from being erased from the surface of this planet, and Marco and I have always known where our first duty lies.”

“That might be as it is, Robert. But they punished you for something someone else had done before you had even been born – at least I guess all of this happened before you were born, and no one should be punished for something that happened before their birth.”

Robert nodded. “You're right, Marco's parent fell in love with this prince before Marco's and my birth.”

His human considered him thoughtfully. “I guessed so. How old are you, Robert? How old is Marco? And why do you always use the term 'parent' when you're talking about them? Wouldn't 'father' be the better word?”

Robert had known that these questions would arise ever since he had realized that he had fallen in love with Thomas, and he could see that Marco had mused about the right answers as much as he had. It was finally time to tell Thomas and Erik more about their origin, and he could only hope that this wouldn't cause the two young men to change their minds and avoid Marco and him in the future.

 

_Another view on Castle Drachenfels (dragon's rock), the home of a mighty robber baron..._  



	15. Their True Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and Thomas finally learn more about their beloved Shapeshifter mates and their true origin and nature.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must admit that I am pretty nervous posting this chapter. I originally come from sci fi fandoms, and my Shapeshifters are descendants of an alien race, please don't forget that. The aliens I created here without really describing them are a combination of a long living hermaphrodite species appearing in the Darkover books of Marion Zimmer Bradley called Chieri, my beloved Haluters from Perry Rhodan, which are an unisexual and long living oviparous race, and the Changelings appearing in Star Trek DS9 - for those of you who are curious about my sources of inspiration.  
> I decided to not go too much into detail and leave a lot to your imagination, but I needed an explanation why my Shapeshifters are all males in their human form and why they only mate with male humans. 
> 
> I hope you will approve this chapter. <33

Thomas could see how nervous Robert suddenly was. The dark-haired Shapeshifter avoided his questioning gaze, and his face had become the impassive mask he always wore when he wanted to hide his feelings.

The young man regretted that his question was the reason for Robert's discomfort, but ignoring this topic wouldn't help matters, and Thomas had also the suspicion that the answer to this question was important for more than one reason.

„Shall I tell Erik and Thomas more about our origin and our true nature?“ Philipp asked when neither Robert nor Marco said anything for a rather long time, but Robert shook his head. „No, thank you, Philipp. Thomas asked me, and he has every right to hear the truth from me.“

Thomas smiled at his panther and squeezed his hand in reassurance. „Whatever it is, it won't change how I feel about you,“ he said quietly, and Robert returned his smile weakly. „I hope so.“ Robert straightened his shoulders and gazed at Marco. „Are you okay with me telling Erik and Thomas the entire story, Marco?“

The blond nodded. „Yes, Robert, I am. Just go ahead.“ He leaned his head against Erik's shoulder, and Thomas wondered briefly about their changed roles. Robert and Marco had been their bodyguards since they had met, being the strong shoulders and safe havens Erik and Thomas had needed them to be. But it was clear to see that the two Keepers of Lionheart's Sword now needed the comfort and understanding of their human mates more than they had probably ever needed anything. They might be powerful beings with skills humans could only dream about, but they needed love as much as any other living and sensitive being, and this reassured Thomas and gave him the assurance that Shapeshifters weren't as different from their human counterparts as they seemed to be at first sight.

Robert cleared his throat and took a deep breath before he began to speak.

„Philipp has told you that our ancestors came from another planet, and that they were immortal. These aliens could be killed, but they didn't age, one of the reasons why some of them decided to leave their home world and search for a new planet where they could live, because their own planet became too crowded because of their immortality. The members of this race procreated only once, but their numbers became too many over the millennia, and they needed to find a way to avoid destroying their home because of their increasing population. They developed the technology to bridge the huge distance between the stars and explored the universe, spreading out across the galaxy on several planets.

One of these planets was this wonderful world, and they decided to stay even when they found out that there was a young race of intelligent humanoids already populating it.

This human race was totally different from their own kin, and the aliens were deeply fascinated. Humans couldn't change their form and they aged, but they procreated several times during their short lifespans, and they were hungry for knowledge and curious about everything new.  
Some of the aliens – humanoid like their neighbors but able to change their form and appear like the animals living on the planets they inhabited, experimented with the genetic code of their human brethren, and they found out that it was possible for them to procreate with them and create a new species that was better adjusted to the planet than they were.

The descendants of this inter-species procreation were indeed a new race of their own, different from the aliens and different from their human ancestors. They could change into only one special form, the form they had been born in, and they didn't live as long as their alien ancestors, but much longer than their human parents.  
The Shapeshifters, as this new race were called, inherited some of the special abilities of their alien ancestors along with the passion, curiosity and strong will of their human ancestors. The aliens were a race with immense skills and of great intelligence, but they lacked the rich world of deep emotions their young human brethren had, and which made them powerful and dangerous. The Shapeshifters had inherited this human feature, and most of them felt closer to humans than to their alien relatives. Many of them fell in love with humans, and after some modifications of the genetic code the new race could mate and have children with their human mates without the help of technology. This development was one of the reasons why the aliens finally decided to leave the earth again and search for another world that wasn't already populated.”

Robert stopped, eyeing Thomas cautiously from the side. The blond smiled at him and handed him a glass filled with clear water. “I had guessed some of the things you told us, Robert. Erik and I were aware how different your race is from ours ever since we found out about your true form.”

“Yes, I know, love. But it is hard to talk about that for us nevertheless. Most humans envy us for our skills and our long lifespan, and they can't deal with our otherness, especially when it comes to the mating and how we reproduce.”

“That's natural, I think,” Erik spoke up. He looked thoughtful as he absentmindedly stroked Marco's hair. “We humans always crave for the things we don't have, but extinguishing your kin from this planet won't make us live any longer than we do, and we won't be able to change our form like you by killing you, so why not try living in peace and harmony together? We should help each other instead of fighting against one another.”

Mats nodded his head with a smile. Mario sitting beside him beamed at his human friend, and Thomas could see that Erik had impressed the other council members with his mature view of things. “You're right, Erik, and I am not surprised to hear these wise words coming from you. Thomas and you have always been special, I knew that right from the start. It is the most important reason why I sent the scouts to your home, even more important than your obvious skills when it comes to playing football.”

Erik chuckled and smiled at Thomas. “We will give our best during the match, won't we, Thomas?”

Thomas pressed a quick kiss onto Robert's black curls. “Yes, we will. Please continue with your story, Robert, I really want to hear the rest.”

The dark-haired Shapeshifter hesitated but then obeyed with a sigh. “We Shapeshifters are hermaphrodites. We appear always as male humans, but we can't have children with human women, neither of our own kind, nor human babies. Our alien ancestors were unisexual, they didn't need a partner to procreate, and they focused their research on the male humans. The gender changed with the second or third generation of their hybrid children and they became hermaphroditic beings. Our kin needs a mate – either another Shapeshifter or a male human. We mate in our human forms, but we don't give birth like human women do. We are real 'human men' but we are also Shapeshifters, and our organs are different from yours as you can imagine. We are actually still an oviparous race like our alien ancestors. We have to turn into our true form to lay our eggs, and our children will be born in their true form after three months of incubating in a small nest. Our 'babies' stay in their true form for the first weeks, they need some time to learn how to change their appearances under their parent's mental guidance.”

Robert's voice had become more and more quiet, and he couldn't meet Thomas' eyes when he had finished his story, staring at the polished oak of the large table in front of him.

Thomas was stunned for a moment, this was something he hadn't expected. It was clear now why Marco and Robert had used the term 'parent' instead of father or mother. Marco and Robert must have had a human father from what Thomas thought he knew about their past, because Marco's and Robert's Shapeshifter parents had been sentenced to leave their home and live far away from their brethren, but the Shapeshifter part was simply a 'parent' without a fixed gender.

The young man exchanged a quick glance with his friend, who looked as astonished as Thomas felt. Erik was still stroking Marco's hair, and he had shifted closer to him, his expression amazed and thoughtful and not the least disgusted.

Thomas pulled himself together and bent forward to kiss Robert's cheek. “So our child will be a cute and purring little panther at the beginning?” he asked with a smile, and the dark-haired Keeper turned his head to appraise him from the side. “You wouldn't mind that?” he asked cautiously, and Thomas shook his head. “If I'd mind having a small panther curling itself up in my lap and purring as nicely as you're always purring for me? Surely not. On the contrary, I am already over the moon at the idea even though it hasn't even happened.”

“So you're not disgusted?”

“How could I ever be disgusted by the thought of having a child together with the one I love, Robert? Of course, I am a little bit confused and overwhelmed by all of what Philipp, Mats and you have told me. I will need some time to digest that and to understand everything, but this is only natural, I guess. But I don't feel any disgust, Robert. I love you, and I love you in your true form as much as I love you in your human appearance.”

Robert wrapped his arms around him and Thomas held him close and stroked his back, watching Erik and Marco doing the same from the corner of his eye. He had been surprised that Erik hadn't said anything until he had remembered that they could communicate telepathically. Erik had most likely used their mental bond to reassure his beloved lion that he would love to have a little purring lion together with Marco, and Thomas hoped that Mario would be able to do the same for him so he wouldn't need spoken words for such kinds of conversation in the future either.

The young man closed his eyes with a smile and pulled his beautiful panther close, forgetting the other Shapeshifters and the _'Sword Match'_ as he inhaled deeply Robert's beloved scent. They were together and loved each other, and this was all that mattered to him.

 

*~*~*~*

 

 _'A small purring golden lion, really Marco?'_ Erik asked excitedly, using their mental connection to talk to his beloved Shapeshifter. The young man was glad that he didn't need to speak because their talk was really a private matter and none of anybody else's business.

 _'You are not deterred, Erik?'_ Marco sounded relieved and happy but still a bit cautious, and Erik kissed his cheek and smiled at him. _'Deterred? Not the least, love! I would love having a little lion together with you. If you want that too, I mean.'_ It was Erik's turn now to sound uncertain, but the love and joy he could feel through their bond assured him that he didn't need to worry about his glorious lion not wanting to be his mate and have a child together with him as the blond Shapeshifter buried his face on his shoulder.

Erik held him tight and kissed him before he focused on Philipp and Mats again. He had watched both Shapeshifters closely during Robert's explanation, and he had seen them exchanging meaningful glances several times. The young footballer was sure that these glances had something to do with the _'Sword Match'_ , and he wanted to know everything and not having to guess about the reason why Thomas and he had been brought here any longer.

“There is more behind all of this, isn't it, Philipp?” he now asked, and the older Shapeshifter nodded tersely. “Yes, there is. I've told you before that _Lionheart's Sword_ is important for our kin because of the five-dimensional oscillations and that it needs to be recharged now and then. Several hundred years have passed since the last recharging. The sword held its power as long as it remained safely here in Castle Trifels near the crystal, but this changed when Marco's parent took it and left the castle. Our ancestors weren't sure whether or not this prince knew that we need these oscillations to procreate, and I don't think that it matters whether or not he did.

The few human leaders who were able to handle the sword knew that they could control our birthrate with it, but back in those ancient times, our numbers were much greater than nowadays, and birth-control was necessary because we need a mild but warm enough climate and thick forests to survive.

The Pfälzer Wald is perfect for us. In former times, the entire country was thickly wooded and our population more or less controlled itself because we procreate only once in our lives, but we've noticed over the last decades that having children is becoming more and more difficult. The sword has lost some of its power and the oscillations are no longer strong enough over the rather large distance. Munich and Dortmund are too far away, and the sword needs to be recharged again so our kin can survive.”

“Hmm, I see.” Erik looked back and forth between Philipp and the other council members. “You could have brought the crystal to Robert and Marco. I am sure that they would have recharged _Lionheart's Sword_ ,” he drawled, smiling grimly when Philipp blushed. “Ah yes, I forgot. Marco's parent was a criminal and their offspring not trustworthy enough because of that. But Robert could have done it!”

Mats shook his head. “We couldn't risk losing not only the sword but also the crystal, Erik. Times were uncertain during this horrible civil war – they still are – and we were actually glad that the humans had forgotten about us, the real meaning of the sword and the crystal. It wasn't that bad at the beginning, but our problems have become worse over the last twenty years, and we have been searching for a solution for a long time. My visions gave us the hope that Thomas and you would bring the needed change for the better, not only for our kin but also for your own race. That's the reason why we waited for so long, not our mistrust towards Marco and Robert.”

“And how shall we do that?!” Erik asked incredulously, calmed only by the love and reassurance Marco sent through their bond.

“I can't tell you that, Erik, I'm sorry. You need to find the solution on your own. Our fate lies in Thomas' and your hands, and all we can do is trust you that you will do the right thing.”

 

*~*~*~*

 

The two Keepers and their human mates had withdrawn after Mats' words. Erik and Thomas needed some time to fully comprehend the for humans more than astonishing things they had learned, and Robert had to admit that he felt overwhelmed and confused himself. His long speech had exhausted him, and the dark-haired Keeper had been grateful when Kuba had taken matters in his hands and ordered Philipp and Mats to leave the four of them alone and give them the time and space they needed. The level-headed and kind Shapeshifter had allowed them to leave the castle, shooting his brethren strict glances when some of them had tried to protest, and Robert had taken Thomas' hand and almost run out of the ancient stone walls.

The four of them had sought shelter in the garden that belonged to the proud castle, sitting side by side on the green grass under a large tree. Only Mario had followed them in his true form, and Robert had accepted his presence because he longed to bond telepathically with Thomas as much as his wonderful young man did. The young Shapeshifter lay between Thomas and Erik, whining happily because both humans stroked his fur and tickled his belly.

“How old are you, Robert?” Thomas repeated his question, and the Keeper sighed and leaned back against the tree trunk. “A little more than hundred and eighty years, so I'm still very young for a Shapeshifter. Marco is a little bit younger, about hundred and seventy-five years.”

“I see. So this prince wasn't your human father then, Marco?” Thomas asked curiously, stroking over the soft fur on Mario's head. The wolf looked up at him with devotion and fascination and Robert suppressed a smile. He could understand the younger one's feelings, he had lived in seclusion during his childhood, their parents shielding Marco and him from the world outside until they had been old and strong enough to protect themselves and become worthy Keepers of the sword, and he had felt the same way when he'd met other humans for the first time.

“No, he wasn't. He died young during the war before they could have a child together. My parent was heartbroken and mourned his loss for a very long time before he met my human father.” Marco smiled at Robert and reached out to squeeze his hand. “My parent would have died of grief without yours, Lewy.”

The older Keeper returned the smile gently. “That's what friends are for, Mars.”

“But this prince can't have been as bad as Philipp described him if your parent mourned his loss the way he did,” Erik consoled his mate, kissing his hair. “We weren't there and we will never know for sure what really happened back then, but if your parent was like you at least a little bit, then he was someone with a good heart and would never have fallen in love with a real villain.”

Thomas nodded vigorously. “Yes, I think the same, Marco. It's time to move on and look forward instead of looking back and linger in old ways of thinking.”

Marco relaxed gratefully, and Robert kissed his human on his temple. “You are so right, love. I hope that we will find a way to live together in peace and harmony in the future, all of us, Shapeshifters and our human brothers and sisters.”

“Erik and I will do our best to make that happen, won't we, Erik?” Thomas asked his friend and Erik nodded. “Yes, we will, Thomas. I don't know how we will do that, but together, we will manage.”

His voice was firm and unwavering, and Mario whined excitedly and nuzzled his leg with his nose. Robert chuckled and patted his head before pulling Thomas in his lap and wrapping his arms around him.

The dark-haired Shapeshifter closed his eyes and inhaled deeply the fresh air of the quiet garden, the spinning carousel of his thoughts finally coming to a halt as he let the peaceful and calm atmosphere of his home sink into his mind and his heart.

Whatever the future might bring, Robert knew for sure that he would be fine as long as Thomas, Marco and Erik would be by his side.

 

_The remains of this former proud castle watch over the south of the Pfälzer Wald, you can see the Black Forest and the Vosges from there in the distance. :-)_

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all of you who want to know the reasons for my choice of how my Shapeshifters procreate: please read my answer to Bluerose06's comment under this chapter, I explained my choice to them in my reply. :-)


	16. Closeness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Thomas spend some quality time together after an exhausting day and all the stunning and exciting revelations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear Janie94, I wanted to wait with upating this story until you would be able to read the new chapter, I hope that you will still like and enjoy your story. <33

The two young men and their beloved Shapeshifters had sat together for a while longer, and Erik and Thomas had stroked Mario's fur to give him the feeling that his company was appreciated and wanted. The large wolf had buried his nose in Thomas' lap and closed his eyes, whining softly in his sleep as he enjoyed the gentle ministration from the humans he had met only a couple of days ago but come to care about and trust rather quickly.

Robert had stroked Thomas' hair and savored the peaceful moment, and he had been content with just holding his human mate in his arm and watch the shadows become longer and the sun slowly setting.

Mario had woken up before it had become dark, licking Thomas' and Erik's hands before rising to his feet to trot back to the impressive building shimmering red-golden in the last of the evening sunlight. He had sent a short goodnight through the mental connection he shared with Robert and Marco, sensing that the four of them craved to be alone without feeling offended.

Marco and Erik had withdrawn shortly after that as well, and Robert had felt a lump in his throat when Erik had shyly asked for the much more intimate mental connection to say goodnight to him, clearly excited about his new ability. Robert had granted it with a gentle smile and watched them leave the garden with new hope filling his heart.

Maybe, his brethren would allow them to come back after the match for at least short visits, and maybe, Marco would finally be able to find his peace of mind and stop blaming himself for things that had happened in the past when he hadn't even been born.

His focus shifted back to the young man he held in his arms when they were alone at last, asking him quietly if he wanted to go back to their quarters as well.

Thomas only shook his head, craning his neck to look at his panther.

“No, it's warm enough, and I would love to stay here for a while longer if you don't mind, Robert.”

“Of course, I don't mind, love.” Robert brushed his temple with his lip, deeply grateful that the swelling was gone and Thomas unharmed again. The blond snuggled back against his lithe but strong frame. “Do you think that Mario was successful?” he inquired curiously, and Robert kissed his cheek.

“I hope so. We won't find out if we don't try it though.”

“Hm, you have a point here. How does this mental connection works?” Thomas chewed on his lip, and Robert could see how excited and anxious he felt about the prospect of talking to him via telepathy.

“Close your eyes and focus on what you want to tell me. It will be tricky at the beginning, and probably be straining, but it should work if you'll keep your focus on me,” Robert encouraged him, and Thomas' genuine smile made his heart sing with joy.

“Focusing on you won't be hard, because you are the center of my world anyway, my beautiful panther.” Thomas reached out to stroke Robert's face before leaning back against him and closing his eyes. His features didn't tense like the dark-haired Shapeshifter had expected them to but relaxed, and it took not more than two or three seconds until the older one could feel a shy and at the beginning unsteady touch in his mind. Robert closed his own eyes and opened his mind for Thomas, welcoming him in his thoughts. It was overwhelming to be so close to him and feel him everywhere inside his head and his heart, Thomas' love floating through their link like warm, smooth honey, a balm for his still wounded soul.

_'Robert?'_

_'Yes, my love, it's me.'_

_'Oh wow, this is... this is amazing. I can feel you in my head!'_ Thomas' joy and excitement washed over Robert like a forceful wave, and the dark-haired Shapeshifter pulled him close and searched blindly for his soft and tender lips. The young man shifted his weight until he sat in Robert's lap, their chests pressed tightly against each other, and he opened his mouth for his beloved panther like he had opened his mind for him, baring his thoughts and his feelings with so much trust that Robert felt humble and blessed.

The older one hungrily deepened their kiss, exploring Thomas' mouth with passion and longing. The panther in him might be a solitary mind and soul, but there was also the heart of a human beating in every Shapeshifter's chest, and Robert felt the same primary need to bond with other beings of his kind like every other human and every other Shapeshifter. He knew that their punishment had been much harder to take for Marco as the sociable being he was in his true form, the lion not meant to live alone and without his own kin, but Robert had felt the loneliness they had been sentenced to by their brethren pressing down on him oftentimes during the decades, even though he had done his best to ignore the pain being an outlaw made him feel.

He and Marco had formed a strong bond to draw some comfort out of it, but it hadn't in the least prepared him for what he felt now, as he was finally connected with the one he loved more than life itself for the very first time. Thomas' love for him enclosed his soul like a soft and protective blanket, and his desire surging through their link left Robert hard and aching, his whole body tingling with the desire their closeness aroused in him.

Thomas tasted sweeter than honey and the peaches Robert loved to eat, more tempting than anything the Shapeshifter had ever tasted, and his world shrank to the spot where they sat under the tree in the now dark garden of the old castle that had become the last shelter of his dying kin.

_'I love you, I love you so much, Robert. More than anything!'_ Thomas' thoughts floated through him, chasing the emptiness and pain away that had been his companions for so long, and Robert moaned desperately and pressed his mate close, thrusting with his tongue deep into the blond's mouth to claim what the young man offered him so willingly.

_'I love you too, Thomas. I didn't know that I could ever love anybody the way I love you!'_ Robert wasn't ashamed of admitting his feelings, and he knew that the young man returning his kiss with the same passion and longing would never betray him and use his feelings against him.

The Shapeshifter pushed against the young man trapped in his arms until they both fell down onto the soft green grass, and Thomas rewarded him with an ardent moan and pulled at his jacket in the attempt to free his panther from his clothes. Robert growled and rolled around with him in a playful battle as he started to liberate the trembling human from his own jacket, jeans and shirt until they were both finally naked, covering him with his body to protect him from the cool evening breeze grazing over their flushed skin.

_'Need you, want you! Need to be close to you!'_ Thomas moaned through their mental bond, arching his back as he sought release from the unbearable tension of his unfulfilled desire for his panther.

Robert let his own feelings flow freely to show Thomas that he needed him just as much, soothing his with need shivering mate with tender vibes. One day, they would be truly one being, their bodies connected like their minds and souls were, but this was neither the right time, nor the right place for it.

_'I know love, I want you just as much, but we'll have to wait for this until after the match,'_ the Shapeshifter soothed the young man, even though every fiber of his being screamed to complete their bonding in the most intimate way and make Thomas his in every sense of the meaning.

Thomas whined unhappily but the whirling storm of his emotions slowed down a little bit, and he let Robert kiss him again and pulled him close when the older one began to move above him, snaking one hand between their bodies to wrap his hand around both of their leaking erections. They were both rock-hard and throbbing from their shared passion and lust, and Robert knew that they wouldn't last long, but he didn't mind that because he hoped that there would be many nights to follow this one where they would make love to each other the right way.

_'You feel so good my love, so good!'_ he sent through their bond, and Thomas rewarded him with a strangled moan that was swallowed by Robert's ardent lips. He nibbled and licked his way around while he stroked both of them together, the slick of their arousal making it easy for him to glide up and down on the proof of their desire for one another. The wonderful young man lying trapped underneath him felt perfect in his fingers, all silkiness and hard steel united in an irresistible mixture Robert loved to touch and to caress. He was addicted to the sweet noises he drew from his human mate, gasps, moans and mewls no one else would ever get to hear, Robert would see to that.

Thomas was his and the dark-haired Shapeshifter wouldn't allow any other human or Shapeshifter to come closer to him except for perhaps Erik, Marco and Mario as the close friends they had become, but none of them would ever see Thomas like this, all ruffled, flushed and moaning for him. Robert had fought hard to not show his jealousy when Mario had nestled against Thomas with his head, knowing that the physical contact made it easier for the younger Shapeshifter to awake Thomas' sleeping ability to communicate telepathically. Robert had needed to withdraw from his own bond with Mario to not reveal his mixed feelings, but he suspected that Mario had sensed his inner turmoil nevertheless, and he was grateful that Mario had left them alone without mentioning his jealousy.

Robert growled ardently, his hand moving faster as he stroked them to completion, Thomas' pleasure and his own intermingling until Robert couldn't tell any longer where his own ended and Thomas' started.

_'Oooh, Robert, my panther, this is... don't stop!'_ Thomas begged almost desperately, the twitching and throbbing of his wet manhood proving to Robert that he was doing it right and that his wonderful mate would come within the next seconds. The dark-haired Shapeshifter wasn't far behind, lust pooling in his groin and burning in every cell of his body. He kissed him again, imitating the act of lovemaking with his tongue as he thrust deep into Thomas' mouth, and this was the final straw that pushed the blond over the edge.

The young footballer arched his back and cried out into Robert's hot mouth, a strangled sound that echoed in Robert's mind. Hot wetness spilled all over his hand and between their bodies, and the older one could feel the spasms of ecstasy capturing his lover as if they were his own.

Robert held his breath and let Thomas' pleasure wash over him and pull his own climax from him. Their seed intermingled like their minds were deeply connected, Robert's intense satisfaction prolonging Thomas' height as they shuddered together through their orgasms.

_'Love you, love you, love you...'_

Robert couldn't tell whether these words were his own or Thomas', but it didn't really matter because Thomas' love enclosed him like a warm blanket, caressing him like a soft and fragrant summer breeze and the rays of the golden sun, and he knew that he would never be the solitary being again he had once been before he had met this special and wonderful human.

Thomas made him whole in a way he hadn't even known that it was possible, and he completed him and gave him the feeling of safety and being at home he had always secretly craved for.

Robert had seen how Marco had suffered because of their punishment, how much the younger Shapeshifter had longed for someone who loved him the way he was and against all odds. Robert had seen the younger Keeper suffer and struggle, and he had told himself that he was fine with being alone and free, not chained to another being that made him vulnerable and weak because of Robert's love for them.

Robert had convinced himself that it was much better this way; and he pushed his own longing for love and closeness deep into the farthest corner of his mind, living the life of the solitary panther even in his human form, determined to never let anybody into his heart.

As he now looked down at his mate, the strong, amazing, defiant and proud human Thomas actually was, Robert realized that he had been wrong the entire time, because his love for Thomas didn't make him weak and vulnerable, but strong, stronger than he had ever been. With Thomas, he would never be lonely again, even when they were apart, and with Thomas, the sun was shining brighter, the air warmer and the wind softer. With Thomas, the night was less dark and the flowers smelled sweeter, and with him, every obstacle seemed to be smaller and easier to overcome.

Robert had accepted the punishment the other Shapeshifters had sentenced Marco and him to without ever trying to go against it. But that would change after the _'Sword Match'_ for Marco's sake, who didn't deserve to suffer for something his parent had done a long time before he had even been born. He would fight for their rights, and Robert knew for sure that Thomas would help him and stand by his side just like Erik would do the same for Marco.

The intensive waves of pleasure subsided slowly to the softer ones of the afterglow of their shared passion, and Robert kissed Thomas tenderly, smiling back at him when Thomas looked at him with shining eyes.

_'That was amazing. I feel so close to you,'_ Thomas purred happily in his mind, and Robert kissed him again, nuzzling his neck with his nose to inhale his unique scent.

_'It's the same for me, love. I have never felt as close to anyone as I feel to you. I never wanted a mate, I always thought that loving someone would only lead to grief and a broken heart.'_

Robert hoped that Thomas wouldn't mind his honesty and think that Robert didn't want to love him, and the tender look in the blond's sparkling eyes told him that his beloved human understood him and didn't feel offended.

_'I know, my beautiful panther. I would have thought the same in your place. I promise you that I will always love you and never betray you. We will surely fight a lot, but I will never stop loving you.'_

Robert relaxed in Thomas' arms, purring contentedly when the young man began to stroke his back and his tousled hair. It felt so good to be held and loved, Thomas' strong arms protecting him from the world outside for at least a little while.

“I love you, Thomas. I am so happy that we met,” he said aloud, his words muffled by the fragrant skin of Thomas' damp shoulder.

“I love you too, Robert. I will always love you. I will never leave you alone. You will always be my beloved purring panther, in your human form as much as in your true form, and no one and nothing will ever come between us, I promise you,” the wonderful young man who had trapped his heart so easily whispered into his ear, and Robert smiled against his throat, because this was all he needed to feel as safe and happy as he had never been before.

 

_This impressive rock has actually once been a small castle. It is called 'Nonnenfels', rock of the nun because of an old legend. There are more enchanted places like this in my beloved Pfälzer Wald, and I am happy that I can share these pictures with you. :-)_

  



	17. You're My Lion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert and Thomas had their quality time in the last chapter, now it is Marco's and Erik's turn to enjoy some time alone...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually didn't want to post this chapter before I had written the next one, but this can take a while, and Marco and Erik asked for their special time as well, so I decided to post the last chapter I had in stock today. I hope it will be enjoyable to read, please leave feedback for me! <33

Erik and Marco had made their way back to their quarters deeply lost in their thoughts. Marco had held Erik's hand and squeezed it, trying to reassure not only his human mate, but also himself as Erik suspected.

„Are you really okay with what you have learned about my true nature, Erik?“ the blond Keeper asked quietly when they were finally alone with each other for the first time after the revelations that had been so stunning for Thomas and Erik, and Erik's heart ached when he saw the doubt and fear in Marco's beautiful amber-green eyes. It was clear to see that Marco craved for the mental bond but feared that Erik would reject him without the others being around and watching them, and the young footballer pulled his former bodyguard close and wrapped his arms around Marco's neck with a tender smile.

_'I am more than okay with everything when it comes to you, Marco. You are my wonderful lion and nothing will ever change my love for you. I had already suspected that your race don't reproduce the same way humans do, I couldn't help but notice that there are no female Shapeshifters. This could of course have come from the council containing only male Shapeshifters, but I had also noticed that you had always used the term 'parent' and not father and mother._   
_I love you and the mere thought of having a little lion with you excites me more than I can express in words. I feel confused and I don't know if I will ever understand everything about your race and your origin, but that's not important to me. I am not a scientist who wants to examine a rare exhibit. You are Marco, my amazing and wonderful mate, and I am the man who loves you deeply. That is all I need to know, Marco, and I don't care about your alien origin at all. All I care about is that you love me too and that we can have a child together. If this child will be a cute little lion like you are at the beginning, then so be it.'_

The older man embraced him tightly, and his smile was breathtaking as he now returned Erik's gaze with sparkling eyes. _'I had hoped that you would say that, darling. I love you more than life itself and you are my home and my shelter. You are my lion, Erik, strong and beautiful and kindhearted, it doesn't matter for me that you can't turn into a 'real' lion. You're a lion in your heart and your mind, and that's all that matters to me.'_

Erik felt a hot wave of love and longing course through him, and he pressed himself against the blond Shapeshifter to let him feel his desire for him. “I want you, Marco, I want to feel you!” the brunet whispered hoarsely, pulling a low, passionate growl from his golden lion.

“I want you too, darling. I want to taste you and make you moan and call my name,” Marco gave back, his voice a seductive mixture of pleased purrs and an ardent roar, and Erik shivered with anticipation and wrapped his arms around his neck to let the Shapeshifter carry him to their bed without objection.

Their clothing soon lay on the floor before it, neither of them caring about being tidy. They kissed while they undressed each other, exploring the warm and fragrant skin they liberated from their offending garments with curious fingers. Marco felt perfect under Erik's hands, his flesh smooth and warm and soft, and Erik couldn't get enough of tracing the lines, hills and valleys of the blond's lithe and yet strong body with tender fingertips, learning his secrets by heart as he searched for the most sensitive spots that would make Marco moan into his mouth when caressed and stroked.

The young footballer was painfully aroused when they were finally naked and his beloved bodyguard gently lowered him down onto the mattress to cover him with his own body and protect him from the cool breeze blowing through the open window. 

_'I love you, darling, I love you so!'_ Marco's thoughts were an echo of his own, and Erik sighed happily and kissed him again, teasing the inner sides of his mouth with tender licks. _'I love you too, my golden lion. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you!'_ he purred, kneading Marco's shoulder blades with his left hand and his butt cheeks with the right one.

Marco deepened their kiss with a heavy shudder, his erect sex smearing small droplets of pleasure over Erik's thigh and his hipbone. It felt so good to be so close to the one he loved, no piece of clothing separating them, and Marco's clever and agile tongue did incredible things to him and made his own member twitch and throb with need.

Erik's hard nipples rubbed against Marco's not less hard ones, two red knobs that begged to be touched and licked. The blond Shapeshifter hummed contentedly when Erik arched his back against him in the feeble attempt to get more friction, and he pulled back from Erik's swollen lips to kiss his way down his flushed face and neck, nipping at his vulnerable throat and his collarbone before finally reaching his goal and taking one of the hard knobs between his teeth to tenderly pull at it.

Erik rewarded his lover with a startled cry of pleasure, and the older male chuckled and started to suck at his nipple until Erik's head was spinning with lust. “Oooooohhh, Marco...” Erik's eyes fell shut with the sensation of two warm fingers tugging at the other knob crowning his well-toned chest, and he dug his short nails into the soft red-blond strands of Marco's tousled hair. _'… ooohhhh, Maarrcccooo!!!!'_

_'Exactly like that, love. I want you to scream my name!'_ the amazing being that had trapped Erik's heart right at first sight purred in his mind, and Erik whimpered and arched his back, electric jolts of hot pleasure shooting into his groin when Marco started to alternate between sucking, licking and biting his left and his right nipple while rolling the other one between his thumb and his index finger.

The young human moaned and threw his head from one side of the pillow to the other one, and just when he thought that he wouldn't stand the sweet torture any longer and come just from Marco lavishing attention on his oversensitive nipples, Marco released them with a wet 'plopp' from his mouth and kissed his way further down until he could dip his tongue into Erik's quivering navel.

_'You're tasting wonderful, darling. You don't know how wonderful and delicious you smell and taste,'_ the Shapeshifter purred in his mind again, circling the small hole in the middle of his abdomen with his tongue.

Erik hadn't known how sensitive he was there until Marco had caressed his navel for the first time, and he gasped and shivered, craving to feel the talented mouth of his astonishing lover where his desire was almost unbearably painful after the blond's ardent ministration.

_'Marco, love, my lion, please, I need...'_

_'I know darling, I'll give you what you need.'_ Marco's mind-voice was so tender, so full of love, and Erik relaxed and opened his trembling legs for him when the older one crouched between them.

_'I can't wait to taste you where you are pure and utter Erik, my wonderful and beloved young man,'_ Marco told him, and Erik wondered briefly about his ability to let his mind-voice sound like the roar of a powerful big cat. But the first curious lick along his sweaty thigh made him lose every coherent thought, his desire spiraling into heights he had never experienced before this night.

Erik was a healthy young man and he knew what pleasured him most from the countless times when he had sought release on his own, but he had never felt the way he felt now as Marco worked his way upwards on his left thigh just to stop before he reached Erik's proud erection. The young footballer groaned with disappointment when his lion didn't take him in his warm and wet mouth but kissed and licked his way down again on his right leg, but the blond Shapeshifter soothed him tenderly, sensing what Erik needed because of their deep connection.

_'Soon, darling. Let me enjoy you.'_

Erik sighed but relaxed, trusting his skilled lover that he would take care of his needs. “I love you, Marco, I love you so,” he whispered hoarsely, and it felt almost strange to use spoken words instead of their mind bond.

“Love you too, darling.” The Shapeshifter eventually took pity on him, grasping his hips with both hands and lowering his mouth down to tease the engorged head of Erik's manhood with the tip of his tongue.

Erik mewled and only Marco's firm grip held him in place when his pelvis jerked violently. “Ah, you like that, don't you, darling?” The older one sounded smug and content, and Erik mewled again.

“Yessss, please! Gimme more!”

Marco chuckled and started to lick over the entire length of Erik's throbbing arousal, massaging the pulsing shaft with his tongue and his lips until Erik's world shrank to the spot where he could feel Marco's hot mouth on his aching desire. The blond Keeper seemed to know what he needed better than Erik himself, which was probably true because they were still deeply connected and Marco was a part of him now, feeling Erik's lust and pleasure as if they were his own feelings.

“Marco, ooooooh, Marco... please, Marco...” Erik repeated the blond's name like a mantra, and everything inside him clenched with the first wave of his approaching orgasm when Marco took him deep into his mouth and hollowed his cheeks to make sure that he would find complete satisfaction.

_'Maaaarrcooooo!'_

The wave washed over him and Erik arched his back and cried out in his mind, spilling his warm ecstasy into the tender mouth pleasuring him that skillfully. The next wave was even stronger than the first one, and the young man succumbed to the intense satisfaction, every cell of his body humming with the sensations coursing through him.

Marco draped his body around him when it was finally over, stroking his hair and whispering tender words into his ear. Erik sighed happily and opened his eyes to smile at his golden lion. He could feel the unmistakable proof of Marco's unfulfilled desire poking against his abdomen, but the older male just returned his smile and carded his fingers through Erik's tousled hair.

“You're delicious, darling. I enjoyed doing this for you so much!” he murmured against his lips, and Erik blushed as he tasted himself when Marco kissed him.

“I enjoyed it too,” he whispered shyly, and Marco pulled him close and deepened their kiss. _'There is no need for you to be shy, darling,'_ the Keeper assured him, and Erik snickered happily and let his hands wander down on the lithe and warm body.

Shapeshifters had a warmer body temperature even in their human form, probably the reason why they preferred a colder climate so as not to not overheat, and Erik dwelt in Marco's warmth and the purring sounds he made and which vibrated against his chest. He craved to let him feel the same pleasure he had experienced only a few minutes ago, and he drew back from Marco's ardent mouth to follow his hands with his lips and explore the beautiful male body of his beloved mate as thoroughly as Marco had explored him.

Marco moaned and shivered when Erik sucked at his hard nipples, the Shapeshifter's human body reacting to Erik's caresses the same way the young man had reacted, and Erik lost his shyness and uncertainty when he sensed the blond's reaction and increased his attempts to pleasure his mate.

Their mental connection helped him with that, and it didn't take long until he had turned his beloved one into a panting mess, the amazing being which had powers and abilities humans could only dream of lying trembling underneath him.

_'This is so good, please don't stop darling!'_ Marco begged when Erik reached his most private parts after a long and thorough journey on which he had kissed and caressed every tiny spot of soft skin and warm flesh Marco possessed, dwelling in his unique scent and the sounds of pleasure he had drawn from him with his ardent ministration.

Erik loved to kiss and stroke Marco, and he didn't hesitate when he found himself eye to eye with the proof of the blond's strong desire for him but licked over the hard length with clumsy eagerness.

The young footballer had never done this before, and he was aware of the fact that Marco was much more experienced and had had sex with other humans over the decades, but he could feel Marco's deep love for him through their bond, and this reassured him and made him feel proud and confident.

Marco might have had sex before, but he had never loved anyone the way he loved Erik, so this was as new for him as it was for Erik, and the shivers wrecking the slim body and the incoherent pleas echoing in his mind proved to the brunet that he must do it right and truly pleasure his lion with the cautious licks and kisses he lavished all over the throbbing and impressive length. Marco's manhood was beautiful and so tempting, and Erik couldn't resist any longer and swallowed it as deep as he was able to without choking.

“Uuuuuhhhh, Erik!” Marco gasped out, clearly surprised at his sweet human's boldness, and Erik chuckled happily around the heavy weight filling his mouth so perfectly and began to bob his head up and down on it to pull more sounds and shivers from him.

_'Don't stop, darling, please don't stop!'_ Marco was soon begging in his mind, his fingers pulling at Erik's hair and his hips jerking as he struggled to keep them still and not thrust uncontrollably into his lover's mouth.

Erik felt brave and strong, straining his eyes to watch the older one and not miss the beautiful sight of Marco's face when he lost himself in the throes of passion.

It took him only three more ups and downs before he felt Marco getting close, the hardness in his mouth growing even harder and longer, and the young man took a deep breath and readied himself for the delicious dessert his wonderful mate would feed him with within the next seconds.

“Erik, darling, I'm sooooo...” Marco couldn't finish his hoarse warning before he literally exploded in the soft and warm cavern he was buried in, and Erik's chest swelled with pride when the first hot jets spurted against the back of his throat and the inner sides of his cheeks. His lion tasted as delicious as Erik had thought he would, of pure and utter Marco, and the brunet swallowed eagerly every drop of the older one's release and licked the softening member clean when Marco had nothing more to give.

_'Come here, darling, I want to hold you,'_ the Shapeshifter demanded drowsily when he was totally spent, the events of the last days finally taking their toll. Erik knew that it would be his turn to keep his wonderful, purring lion warm and safe for once, something he would do with happiness and gratitude.

_'I love you so much, my golden lion,'_ Erik whispered tenderly in Marco's mind, and the blond pulled him close and relaxed with a happy sigh.

_'Love you too. Very much. It was amazing,'_ Marco purred already half asleep, and Erik chuckled and pulled the covers over their damp bodies to keep them warm for the night.

_'I'm glad to hear that,'_ he gave back, and Marco nuzzled his neck with his nose and sighed again. _'Sorry, darling, I'm even too tired to turn into my true form tonight.'_ the blond apologized, and Erik kissed his hair and stroked his back.

_'Don't be, love. It's my turn to keep you safe and warm tonight, and I will gladly do that. Just go to sleep, Marco.'_

And Marco did just that, snuggled close against him, his purring noises quickly lulling Erik to sleep as well.


	18. The Sword Chamber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco, Robert, Erik and Thomas get ready to leave Castle Trifels again, but there is something Philipp wants to show them beforehand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest Janie94, I'm so sorry that it took me so long to update your story, I hope that you're still interested in it. I'll do my best to hurry with the next chapters, I promise. <33

Thomas slowly blinked his eyes open, stretching his limbs with a contented sigh. Robert's warm body was snuggled close to him, and the young man smiled when he remembered their passionate encounter in the garden a couple of hours ago. They had left the beautiful place only reluctantly, and Thomas felt sad at the thought of having to leave the castle and the thick forests again, but he knew how important it was for Erik and him to reach Munich as quickly as possible.

The survival of Robert's and Marco's race depended on it, and Thomas wouldn't let his beloved panther down.

 _'Good morning, Thomas,'_ Robert purred in his mind when he saw that Thomas was awake, and the young man turned his head to smile at the Shapehifter with the astonishing blue eyes.

 _'Good morning, my beloved panther. I fear that we have to get up and ready ourselves for our departure.'_ Thomas gazed at the older one, stroking his sleep-warm face with tender fingertips. The dark-haired Keeper bent down to press a gentle kiss onto his lips.

“Yes, unfortunately. But we can't risk delaying our departure, there are only a couple of days left until the _Sword Match_ will take place.”

Thomas sat up. “Yes, I know.” He looked around the large and rather splendid chamber. “I hope that we can come back here one day, though. Your home is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.”

Robert's eyes became dark, and he pulled his human close to his body, embracing him tightly. “I've never had a real home until I found you, Thomas. You are right that the Pfälzer Forest is a beautiful place to live in, but my home will always be where you are, because home is where the heart is, and my heart belongs to you, love.”

Thomas swallowed, deeply touched by the Keeper's words. “It's the same for me, my beloved panther. As long as we're together, I will always feel at home, no matter where we will be. I love you, and this will never change,” he said, sealing his hoarse promise with a deep and tender kiss.

 

*~*~*~*

 

“There is something we want to show you before you'll leave us,” Philipp said an hour later when they were sitting at the table to have breakfast with the other Shapeshifters. Robert could feel a shiver running down on his spine when he realized what the older Shapeshifter's words meant, and he could see Marco shifting in his chair with a mixture of excitement and fear as well.

Erik sitting beside his lion looked curious, while Thomas next to him narrowed his eyes in mistrust. Robert smiled at his beloved human's determination to protect him from possible hurt or damage by his brethren, and he gently squeezed Thomas' hand under the table in reassurance.

 _'Nothing bad, Thomas, don't worry. I think I know what Philipp is referring to,'_ he told him with his thoughts, and Thomas relaxed a little bit but kept eyeing the shorter one cautiously.

“And what do you want to show us, Philipp?” Erik finally asked when no one else spoke up, stroking absentmindedly Marco's fingers on the table.

“You will see it after breakfast, Erik. I've informed Jürgen Klopp that you will arrive in Karlsruhe today around noon, there is a small private airfield where we'll hopefully find a plane waiting for you. I must stay here in Castle Trifels, but Mats and Mario will accompany you and stay with you until after the game. I will stay in contact with Mats over the next few days in order to know what's going on before, during and after the match.” Philipp's strict voice made clear that there would be no arguing about that.

Robert didn't mind having Mats and Mario around, and Marco, Erik and Thomas only nodded their heads in agreement without arguing about the Raven-Shapeshifter and the wolf coming with them either.

“What about the renegades? Do you think that they are a still a threat for us?” Thomas wanted to know after another short moment of thoughtful silence, and Robert felt relief when Philipp shook his head. “I don't think so. According to Jürgen Klopp it was only a small group that wanted the sword to stay in Munich at all costs. They have obviously found the head of this group, a rich businessman who hoped to get his hands on the sword and bring it to his own estate after the game. You should be safe now, and Jürgen promised to see to a plane being ready to bring you to Munich today.”

“That's good news, then. We really need to focus on the match, even though the thought of having to play against Erik is not really appealing to me,” Thomas murmured, and Erik pulled a face. “It's the same for me, Thomas, but we have no other choice in this matter, I guess.”

Robert watched Mats looking back and forth between the two young footballers, but the Keeper knew that the other Shapeshifter wouldn't reveal what he had seen about the future.

Marco wrapped his arm around Erik's shoulder, kissing him on his cheek. “I have faith in you that you and Thomas will find a way to save us and bring the sword back where it belongs, darling. But we should focus on our departure now and on what Philipp wants to show us, everything else can wait.”

Erik turned his head and smiled at his lion. “You're right, Marco. Getting safely to Munich must be our most pressing concern for now. Okay, Philipp, I guess that none of us is hungry anymore, so please show us what is so important to you. I must admit that you've made me curious.”

“Me too!” Thomas exclaimed, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet. Robert followed his example with a chuckle, enjoying the sight of Philipp ducking his head between his shoulders and gazing uncomfortably at the two young men he had obviously considered to be far less strong-willed and self-confident than he probably should have done.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Marco had felt the pull ever since he had reached the base of the mountain where Castle Trifels sat enthroned on top, most likely even much longer, but he had tried to ignore the constant urge to search for its source, focusing on his brave human mate and his brethren instead. He was sure that Robert had felt the same powerful pull for the entire time, but it might have been less difficult for the older Keeper to withstand it because he had never felt the same shame and guilt as Marco had done because of his parent's actions.

Philipp had led them through long and dark corridors for several minutes, making his way deeper and deeper into the belly of the mountain. The flickering light of the torch he held in his hand only partly illuminated the winding tunnel they were currently climbing down on steep stairs, something that didn't hinder Marco or Robert, who had both a good night vision for obvious reasons, but Erik and Thomas had their problems and were in permanent danger of missing one of the stairs and tumbling over. Neither of them complained though, and Marco walking in front of his beloved mate took Erik's hand in a firm grip and gave him brief orders as to which direction or step to take in order to be safe and not fall.

Their minds were loosely connected, but Marco felt too excited and anxious to deepen their bond and talk telepathically to him, and Erik seemed to sense his wish not to connect more closely and just sent soothing waves through their link.

“We're almost there,” Philipp now said, and Marco could see the tunnel widening to a rather large cave in front of him. He stopped abruptly, taken aback by the beauty displayed before his eyes.

The cave was illuminated by a source of light Marco couldn't see but knew instinctively what it was, the red sandstone walls of the large dome shimmering in myriads of different colors. Stalagmites craned their majestic figures up into the wide opening while their counterparts reached down to them like some kind of magical faes and elves stretching to kiss their mates, frozen in a mystic courting dance for longer than any human being could ever imagine.

The mysterious source of light seemed to pulse in the rhythm of a human heartbeat, and it gave out warmth as well, the temperature of the cave being several degrees higher than the temperature in the tunnels had been.

Standing behind Marco, Erik made a strangled sound, and Marco pulled him close without thinking, holding him for a moment before stepping forward and reaching out with his hand to touch the rock that lay in the exact center of the cave. It had the shape of an egg that stood on its head, the strange source of light sitting in the center of the stone like the huge egg built the center of the cave.

Marco wanted to touch the crystal that warmed and lit up the sword chamber, and he unconsciously knelt down before the stone and pressed his palm against the crystal, soaking up its light and its warmth.

Power was floating through his fingers and his arm, spreading out until it reached each part of his body, his entire being humming and buzzing with the delicious strength surging through him. The blond Shapeshifter bent his human head in a deep bow, but the lion in him raised his head and let out a loud and triumphant roar that echoed in the cave as if there were hundred lions roaring at the same time.

The crystal lit up, its glow shining brighter and brighter until it hurt in the eyes, but Marco didn't draw back, and when he saw the shadow of the black panther beside him, feeling his touch and hearing his answering hiss, Marco felt the guilt and shame he had carried for so long fade away, leaving only calm and peace behind.

Whatever had happened in the past, whatever his parent had done because he'd fallen in love with a human prince, Marco wouldn't have to carry the weight of these events on his shoulders any longer. Erik's love had saved him, and for a split second Marco could see the bight future that lay ahead of them. It was only a glimpse of what would happen, but it was enough to make him smile when he rose to his feet and stepped back from the stone, feeling for Erik's hand and entangling their fingers.

Erik squeezed his hand and smiled at him, tears shining in his eyes, but they were tears of happiness and joy.

“We will bring _Lionheart's Sword_ back where it belongs, Marco, I promise you,” his brave human mate whispered hoarsely, and Marco knew that this would happen because the crystal had shown it to him.

“Yes, I know, love,” was all he could whisper, pulling him close and kissing him, and Erik kissed him back, proving to his beloved lion that sometimes, miracles indeed did happen, as unlikely as this seemed.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Erik didn't know what he had expected the sword chamber to be like when Philipp had led them through the long and dark tunnels that lay hidden beneath the castle, but most likely more a splendid chamber like a throne hall or something like that, not the large naturally occuring cave that unfolded itself in all its beauty before his eyes when they reached the base of the winding stairs.

The young man was vaguely aware of Thomas' loud gasp, but his senses were focused on the being that completed him in a way Erik had never thought it possible before he had met his golden lion, and he watched Marco stepping forward and dropping onto his knees before the large rock in the middle of the dome with a lump in his throat.

Marco was so beautiful, appearing as the fierce lion and the handsome young man at the same time for several long seconds when he touched the crystal in the center of the oval rock. Erik didn't know how this was possible, but he didn't really care. His body glowed in a strange golden light, becoming almost transparent, and the same happened with Robert when he joined Marco and knelt down beside him to lay his hand upon the hand of the younger Keeper, their triumphant roars and growls echoing in the cave like thunder.

Thomas at Erik's other side grabbed his fingers and Erik squeezed them instinctively, but he couldn't avert his eyes from the Shapeshifter who had saved his life, protected him with his own life and showed him what true love was without ever asking for anything in return.

Their minds were still connected, and Erik could feel power and joy fill Marco's entire being as if he were the one touching the crystal, images of him and Marco holding their child and smiling at each other flashing before his eyes.

Erik could feel the presence of the other Shapeshifters standing behind them and watching the scene in front of them silently in the back of his mind as well, and he could even feel Thomas mind touching his own for a brief moment.

It was gone when Marco drew his hand back from the crystal, the bright light dimming to the former warm glow again, and Erik blinked, feeling as though he had just woken up from a wonderful dream. Marco and Robert stayed on their knees for a moment, their appearance entirely human and solid again, but Erik could still see a soft shimmer surrounding them like a halo, and Marco's and Robert's presence seemed to have become stronger and more powerful, filling the whole of large cave and even the entire castle above them.

His mate rose to his feet on shaky legs and came back to him at last, taking his hand and smiling at him with so much love that Erik felt tears well up in his eyes, tears of love and joy and hope.

“We will bring _Lionheart's Sword_ back where it belongs, Marco, I promise you,” he whispered, and Marco pulled him close to his warm body and kissed him, his love enclosing Erik like a soft bubble and warming him, filling him with new strength and confidence as well.

“Yes, I know, love,” he said, and knowing that Marco had faith in him was enough for Erik to believe in himself.

Somehow they would find a way to bring the _Lionheart's Sword_ back to the place where it belonged, and they would also bring peace to both races living on this beautiful planet with that, Erik now knew that for sure.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is love and feeds the writer's muse, please leave kudos and comments! <33

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Holding On To Hope](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10350660) by [Janie94](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Janie94/pseuds/Janie94)




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